


Hot Blooded - On Hiatus

by SharkyCannotWrite



Series: Thiam works [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV), thiam - Fandom
Genre: Author uses too many commas, Bottom Liam Dunbar, Eventual Smut, Eventual relationship, F/M, Happy Liam, Happy Theo, I just want them to be happy, Jenna also ships Thiam, Jenna is a good mother™️, Kinda slow burn but not rly bc the author ships Thiam, Liam is Theo’s anchor, Liam is a Good Friend, M/M, Mason and Corey ship Thiam, Multi, Oblivious Liam, Oblivious Theo, Pining Liam, Sad theo, Sexual Innuendoes, Supportive Morey, The Pack Ships It, The older pack still hate Theo, Theo hates himself, Theo is Liam’s Anchor, Top Theo Raeken, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Way too many tags sorry, bottom!Liam, but - Freeform, embarrassed liam, hints at past Nolan/Gabe, opps, pining theo, suggested Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale, there's a lot more angst than planned, top!Theo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-04-30 12:51:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 54,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14497380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkyCannotWrite/pseuds/SharkyCannotWrite
Summary: After the older pack members leave Becon Hills, everything seems to calm down. Liam and his “puppy pack” have welcomed Theo as a member, and Theo has moved in with Liam. Despite the insanity that plagues Beacon Hills weekly, the two have formed an unlikely bond. Liam has even developed a not-so-small crush on the older boy. But Theo doesn’t like Liam like that, they are just friends... right? (Or: I suck at summaries and this is the best thing I could come up with)





	1. Chapter 1

“Cmon Theo h-harder!” Liam’s breath came out in quick, uneven huffs. The only reply he received from Theo was a faint, animalistic growl.

“Yes! Like that!” Liam was still panting, unable to catch his breath.

“Stop running your mouth and move backwards Littlewolf.” Theo’s words came out breathless as well, Liam muttering out a quiet, “S-Shut up Theo” before proceeding to do precisely what the older boy told him to do.

**************************************

More shuffling and grunting and panting was heard, but when a loud crash resounded through the house, Jenna decided to intervene. She had been working from home that day, unbeknownst to the boys apparently.

Jenna cautiously opened the door, keeping one hand over her still-open eyes. She squeezed them shut when she heard something scraping her floors, yet they flew open when her son breathed out a cheery, “hey mom!”

When Jenna opened her eyes, she couldn’t help the sudden laugh that escaped her. The guest room was completely re-arranged, a queen sized bed in the process of being pushed against the wall, opposite of where Liam’s is in his room. The bookshelf was moved to stand next to the window, with a desk resting directly under said window.

Rather than come in to see Liam and his friend on the bed, they were on either side of it. Both boys were red in the face, admittedly Liam more-so, and extremely sweaty. It was clear they had been at it for hours.

When Jenna finished laughing she was able to compose herself. She saw a questioning look in her son’s eye and a bored look in Theo’s. When Liam asked why she was laughing, she explained what she thought the boys were doing. Theo looked surprised, while Liam’s face grew a few shades more red. Liam’s eyes remained focused on the floor, while Theo’s eyes drifted over to Liam.

Jenna glanced between the two before smiling warmly. “I’ll leave you too it.”

She shut the door behind her, the click of the door sliding back into place resounding around the now-silent room. There were only a few seconds of silence before Theo’s laugh was heard. Liam couldn’t help but smile despite his embarrassment. Theo didn’t laugh often, not a real laugh anyway, yet he was starting to do it more and more around Liam. The other members of the pack still despised Theo, yet Liam knew he had changed since he came out of wherever they had sent him. The old Theo would never be helping Liam with anything willingly, let alone move furniture of all things.

That thought snapped Liam back to the present, where Theo had stopped laughing and had moved in front of Liam. He had a concerned look on his face, yet Liam would have had no way of knowing that since his eyes were glued to the tops of Theo’s converse.

“Littlewolf, what’s wrong?” Theo’s concerned tone only made Liam more embarrassed, and Liam did everything he could to avoid meeting his eyes.

Liam’s wolf sang at his close proximity to the chimera, yet Liam continued to feel embarrassed. Theo let out a quiet sigh before resting a hand on Liam’s shoulder. He rarely initiated physical contact, most likely due to the years and years of his life he went without any. It just seemed strange to Theo, yet he didn’t mind offering comfort for Liam when needed.

“I’m sorry Liam...” Liam looked up at this statement from Theo. He found himself listening or a skip in Theo’s heartbeat or one of the telling signs Liam had come to recognize in the chimera. When it became apparent that he was telling the truth, Liam’s embarrassment turned to confusion. Theo must have smelled this in his scent because he began speaking again.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, It’s just that your mom thought we were fucking and still walked in.” Theo laughed again and Liam grinned at him, his ears still tinted red, yet his blush had begun to fade.

“Yeah she’s not so great with personal boundaries.” Liam couldn’t help but laugh as well, his embarrassment beginning to fade away.

“I get why she thought that though...” Theo had an amused glint in his eyes as he raised his voice higher, mocking Liam, “Oh yes, harder Theo...” He cut off as Liam punched him in the arm. Liam’s face felt like it was burning and had regained it previous red coloring.

“I didn’t say it like that, I was just asking you to push harder...” At Theo’s arched eyebrow, he hurried to continue. “Besides, was all the grunting really necessary?” Liam grinned as Theo rolled his eyes then winked sarcastically. Liam had no idea how he managed to make a wink sarcastic, yet it didn’t surprise him much.

“We should finish moving this stuff...” Liam nodded when Theo said this, and they resumed their positions pushing the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wohoo first chapter, sorry it’s kinda short but I’m almost done with the second one so it will be up tomorrow. Sharky out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song Crossfire by Stephen as well as Sunshine Riptide by Fall Out Boy.

 

When the last of the remodeling was done Theo sat on his new bed while Liam sat in the chair at Theo’s desk, Theo reading a book on Greek mythology while Liam studied for a quiz on Monday. After about 15 minutes of silence, Theo cleared his throat before hesitantly speaking.

 

“You know you didn’t have to do all this for me...” Liam looked up, confusion written all over his face. He was opening his mouth to object when Theo rushed to continue. “I manipulated you, tried to kill your pack, and killed your alpha, yet you are letting me move into your house and let me join the puppy pack. I... I just don’t deserve this Liam.” Theo kept his eyes glued to the dark green sheets that Jenna bought for him when she heard he was moving in.

 

“Theo, of course you deserve this. We were so horrible to you when all you did was help after you got out of that terrible place _we_ sent you to. Yes, you did some terrible things, but Peter did much worse and we forgave him without cause. We didn’t bother to notice for months that you were living in your truck, we didn’t notice when you were attacked by hunters; we didn’t even pretend to care and yet you still fought with us.” Liam ran out of breath, tears shimmering just below the surface of his eyes and ready to spill over at any moment. Once he gathered his breath, he muttered out a last, “I’m sorry Theo.” Not _we’re_ _sorry_ because he knew that the older pack couldn’t care less, really. But Liam did. It scared him how much he cared about the older chimera. Not that he would ever tell Theo that. It seemed that everyone _but_ Theo knew about his crush on the other boy. When he looked over at Theo again, he looked shocked, his mouth opened slightly, leaning against the wall his bed was settled against. There was something Liam couldn’t identify in his eyes.

 

“I... I don’t know what to say Liam. I’m not good with emotions, I never have been. I always thought that the Dread Doctors had removed my ability to feel in whatever operation they did to give me my sister’s heart... but ever since I got back from that place something changed.” Theo sighed deeply, partly wishing the ground would swallow him up again, even if merely the thought of _that_ place caused him to shudder. “I don’t know what changed... but I’m indebted to you Liam, I owe you everything and so far, I’ve done nothing to repay you.” Theo was saved from the embarrassment of Liam’s answer, most likely telling him that he was right, and that he should leave, by Jenna yelling out, “Dinner’s ready boys!” He got off the bed and pulled the door open, heading downstairs when he felt a hand on his upper arm. He stopped, first looking at the hand lightly gripping his bicep then at Liam, who began speaking as soon as Theo looked at him.

 

“You don’t owe me anything Theo; besides, you’ve saved my ass more times than I can count.” When Theo’s confusion melted into a sly grin, Liam knew the statement would be one he would live to regret.

 

“Always happy to save an ass in need...” Theo grinned, then pointed in the direction of the stairs. “Not that I didn’t love our little chick flick moment, but can we eat now?” The combination of Theo’s grin and the movement of the muscle under his palm caused Liam to recoil his hand like Theo burned him, brushing past the older boy and practically sprinting downstairs. He muttered a quick, “Yeah sure” as he went by and in his rush to get downstairs, nearly fell down said stairs. His actions caused a confused look to appear on the chimera’s face. He attempted to smell Liam’s chemosignals, but it felt like there was a wall between them, keeping him from getting anything out of the encounter. Theo shrugged to himself and followed Liam downstairs.

 

Dinner consisted of spaghetti, about 3 glasses of wine for of Liam's mom, and lots of embarrassing stories from Liam's childhood. Liam's mother was in the middle of telling the story of how Liam once got stuck in the closet for hours when he was about 7 when the phone rang. It seemed to be her favorite story to tell after she had just enough to drink. Theo knew the story by heart now, and would sometimes find himself mouthing the words along with Jenna, grinning devilishly. When Theo had first heard the story, he waited until Mason left to laugh until his stomach hurt.

 

When the phone rang a second time, Dr. Geyer stood up and answered it. At Dr. Geyer's concerned tone, Liam glanced over at Theo to find him flickering his eyes from Liam to where Dr. Geyer stood, pointing to his ear briefly. Liam simply nodded and the two listened in on the conversation. Liam couldn't conceal his gasp when Corey's name was mentioned right after Dr. Geyer was asked to return to the hospital for an emergency. Jenna glanced up from her food when Liam gasped, but smiled slightly and looked back down when she found Theo grinning and appearing to whisper in her son's ear.

 

While Theo had not actually been saying anything, just attempting to cover Liam’s shock, he leaned away when Dr. Geyer returned. David kissed the top of Jenna's head before muttering about having to return to the hospital for an emergency. As soon as his car was heard pulling out of the driveway, Liam scarfed down his remaining food and grabbed Theo's wrist, pulling him to stand up. Jenna raised a well-done eyebrow at her son when he abruptly stood up and grabbed his friend's wrist.

 

"We are going to go uh watch a movie." Liam seemed distracted as he stated this, already heading for the stairs. Jenna simply made a doubtful noise, but still agreed when Liam turned around, still pulling Theo behind him.

 

"Fine, but when you are done you boys are doing the dishes." Liam nodded, running up the stairs, his hand still latched onto Theo's wrist. Theo let himself be pulled up the stairs, simply letting out an annoyed huff. When Liam stopped in front of the window, letting go of his wrist to pull it open, he spoke up.

 

"I'm guessing we are going to the hospital?" Theo sighed when Liam nodded then paused.

 

"If you don't want to go, you can stay here and cover for me..." Liam looked up at him, already sitting with one leg over his windowsill. "I've gotta figure out what's wrong with Corey." The look on Liam's face when he said that made Theo sigh again, reluctantly nodding.

 

"Lets go then, and no, you aren't going alone. Last time you went to the hospital alone you were almost shot full of bullets by that Gabe dick and his pack of hunters." Theo pushed him the rest of the way out of the window as he said this, jumping down and landing next to Liam where he had landed ungracefully on his back. He offered a hand out to Liam, who took it. After Liam was on his feet, they started running for the hospital.

 

When they arrived, Liam asked where his dad was, the receptionist told him that Dr. Geyer had gone into surgery, some boy who had fallen onto a sharp stick in the woods, and had a wound in his chest as a result. They typically wouldn't give away what happened to patients, yet it seemed that this receptionist was a new one, and didn't fully understand patient confidentiality. With this new information Liam headed towards the waiting room. Theo watched him walk off before leaning closer.

 

"You wouldn't happen to know who brought him in would you?" He faked a smile, attempting to use his "devilish good looks" as Mason had put it to get an answer. He knew he succeeded when the receptionist blushed and pointed a manicured finger at none other than Nolan sitting in a chair near the back. Liam must not have seen him yet, but he looked up when Theo brushed past where he was sitting with a furious expression on his face. Liam jumped up when Theo grabbed Nolan by the collar of his shirt and dragged him out of the entrance. Liam followed, arriving outside just in time to see Theo shove Nolan up against the side of the building, practically growling in the terrified boy's face.

 

"What. the fuck. did you. do?" Theo was practically shifting, his eyes glowing yellow. Liam placed a hand on his arm, trying to pull Theo back. He only received a growl in response as Theo wrapped his clawed hand around Nolan's neck.

 

"Your little boyfriend dies and now you're hunting again?" Nolan squeezed his eyes shut, pulling at Theo's hands unsuccessfully. Theo only squeezed tighter, causing Nolan to gasp for breath, his face turning red. Liam put a firm hand on Theo's shoulder, practically yelling Theo's name. Theo pulled away, looking at Liam. He shifted back to himself, looking between Nolan and Liam.

 

"Sorry... I-I don't know what came over me." Theo stepped away as Nolan collapsed to the ground, pulling in huge gulps of air. Liam helped him up, but glared at him.

 

"Stay there." Nolan nodded at Liam's stern tone, watching the two as Liam pulled Theo a little bit away. He heard the younger werewolf asking if the chimera was ok, receiving a nod in reply. When Liam and Theo walked back over, they began asking Nolan question after question.

 

"What did you do to Corey?" "Why is he hurt? Where's Mase?" Nolan's eyes flickered between the two of them, his brain scrambling to find answers to their questions.

 

"I don't know what happened to Corey, I found him outside the hospital and helped him in, that's all I know I swear!" Nolan help up his hands as he finished, receiving a doubtful look from Theo and a concerned one from Liam. Liam seemed satisfied with the answer, grabbing Theo's wrist for the second time that day and pulling him back into the hospital, leaving Nolan outside. Nolan stood up, wondering what the hell just happened and walked back inside. He sat down, far away from Theo and Liam.

 

"Give me your phone, I left mine at the house." Liam huffed when Theo arched an eyebrow at his demanding tone. Theo handed his phone over anyway, walking to sit down while Liam called Mason.

 

Theo couldn’t help but glare at Nolan, who was utterly oblivious to Theo glaring daggers into his skull. Theo looked up when Liam walked back over, plopping down unceremoniously in the chair beside him, rubbing his temples.

 

“You ok Liam?” Theo gave Liam a concerned look, watching as the beta wolf sighed, taking his hands away from his face.

 

“Yeah, just a small headache.” Theo heard a skip in his heartbeat, so he placed a comforting hand on Liam’s arm. He looked down in satisfaction when the blood flowing through his veins turned black. He developed a low ache in his skull, but Liam leaned back in the chair, sighing in relief.

 

“You didn’t have to do that, it was manageable.” At Liam's remark, Theo shook his head.

 

“It’s the least I could do.” Liam smiled slightly at him, about to reply when Mason rushed in, stopping in front of them.

 

“Where is he?” Several employees looked up when Mason yelled, but he didn’t seem to notice, staring at the two supernatural beings.

 

“He’s in surgery Mase, but my stepdad knows what he’s doing. He’ll be ok.” Mason didn’t look convinced, but he nodded sitting down. He put his head into his hands, only looking up when Dr. Geyer walked up.

 

“Liam, Theo, why am I not surprised you’re here.” He looked over at Mason, “He’s stable, but he’s still under. You are welcome to come back with me, but I don’t think he will be awake for a few hours.” He turned back to Liam and Theo as Mason followed a nurse back to Corey’s room.

 

“You boys can see Corey, then you go home. Jenna is worried sick.” Liam looked down when he said that, disappointed he couldn’t stay but also feeling guilty for not telling his mom they left. Theo grabbed his arm, nodding at Liam’s stepfather and offering a quick apology before pulling Liam to his feet. They walked into the room to see Mason sitting by Corey’s bed, reading a book he seemed to conjure out of thin air.

 

They spent about an hour at the hospital before heading home. As soon as they were through the door, Jenna pulled both of them into a tight hug. She gave them a lecture about how worried she was, and that if they ever did that again they would be in “big trouble.”

 

Jenna made the boys do the dishes then made them go to bed, Theo grumbling the whole way up the stairs that “he’s 18 not 5 for fucks sake” which made Liam laugh quietly enough that his mom wouldn’t notice. The boys went to bed, neither of them noticing the sleek black car that pulled up across the street from Liam’s house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? Feel free to point out any mistakes you can find, since I don’t have anyone to check my work. This chapter was hella angsty in the beginning but I tried to add in some cute moments as well. Some of the stuff in this is kinda far fetched but oh fucking well lol. I tried to make it longer than the last one but quantity doesn’t always guarantee quality *enter shrug emoji here*  
> Will try to update by Thursday, since I have testing tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

 

When Mason woke up, apparently having fallen asleep while reading, he noticed a nurse fixing Corey's IV bag. Rather than the usual clear liquid, this had a slight blueish color. This peaked both Mason's interest and concern. 

 

"What is that stuff?" Mason pointed to the bag as he spoke, seeming to startle the nurse who must have assumed he was still sleeping. 

 

"No need to worry young man, it's just a new type of saline drip used to keep patients hydrated." Mason nodded, picking up his book again when the woman smiled at him, showing off slightly yellowed teeth. "I'm sure your friend will recover quickly Mr. Hewitt." Mason glanced up when she said his name, knowing for sure that he never told her and that his name wasn't in the file they pulled for Corey, he was simply listed as **Mason**. 

 

Mason muttered out a quiet, "He's not just a friend...' hoping that the woman wouldn't hear him. He kept his other thought, mostly about how she knew his name, to himself. The woman had obviously heard him though, since her smile faltered and she quickly exited the room. Mason checked the time on his phone, blinking sleepily when the time read 12:47 a.m. He sighed, glancing again at the IV bag, then at his sleeping boyfriend, before continuing to read. 

 

When Mason woke up a second time, it was to the avengers theme song blasting from his phone. He quickly shut it off, standing up and walking into the small bathroom attached to the hospital room to change. He hadn't wanted to leave Corey today, but he needed to get to school for the test he and Liam had in their history class today. When he finished, he was walking past where Corey was sleeping when he saw a spare IV bag. This one was an even darker blue than the last, so he picked it up and set it gently in his backpack. He knew he was probably just being an overly-worried, clingy boyfriend, but he had to make sure nothing strange was happening. Wait, who was he kidding, this is beacon hills. There's always something weird happening. Mason continued his internal monologue until he reached the school, ranting to himself about all the weird stuff that happened to him and his friends. His backpack felt weighed down with the IV bag, which Mason knew realistically was basically weightless. 

 

All throughout the school day, Mason saw neither Liam or Theo. Theo didn't go to school, but he always brought Liam's lunch, which Liam always forgot. Theo would usually eat with them, or sit with their group while they ate, then leave. Without fail he was always back at the end of the day. Due to their routine, the whole school was convinced Liam was dating the "mysterious bad boy" that always showed up with his lunch and a smile. Mason couldn't really blame them though, for a supposed "chimera of death," whatever that was. He had heard Theo muttering about it in his sleep one night. Both he and Liam had fallen asleep while playing video games while Mason studied. Even though he didn't know what "chimera of death" means, Theo didn't exactly live up to the name by bringing lunch, snickering at Liam's jokes, and picking him up from school or lacrosse practice every. single. day. Mason shrugged it off, thinking maybe they decided to skip school today. They seemed to do that every month around this time, each taking a day off from their responsibilities and running around the preserve like a couple of married idiots. Liam had been studying his ass off over this test though, so he doubted that he would choose today to skip. During his lab class, Mason purposefully worked slowly so he would have an excuse to access said lab after school hours.

 

Once the school day was over, Mason went back into the lab, carefully taking out the IV bag and running a few tests he had seen Deaton do. Mason looked down in shock, running the test a third time. Corey was being poisoned with wolfsbane... _Corey was being poisoned_... That statement rang out over and over again in Mason's head as he dashed for the door. He wasn't paying attention, zoning out and only focusing on getting back to the hospital. When a hand grabbed his elbow, he reacted without thinking. His fist was caught half way to the person's face, said person staring at him in confusion.

 

"Mason, I asked you where Liam is." Mason's head jerked up at Theo Raeken's concerned tone. He was surprised to see Theo, but didn't even take the time to think over the question, muttering that he didn't know and pulling his elbow out of Theo's grasp, running for the door.

 

Theo looked on in shock, shrugging tense shoulders and resuming combing the school for the beta wolf. After looking for another hour, he stopped outside Liam's locker. He smelled the air, trying to find a trace of Liam's scent. The young beta was usually waiting outside with Mason and/or Corey for Theo to pick him up, unless he had lacrosse practice of course. But Liam didn't have practice today. When he wasn't waiting for Theo out front of the school, he checked the field, the detention room, the classroom, the locker room, and the showers, just to be sure. He couldn't find the beta wolf anywhere, and he wasn't answering his phone. He had seen Mason running down the hall and had called his name several times, but the younger teen didn't seem to hear him. He was shocked when Mason swung a punch at his face, seeming to jolt him out of his stupor. Mason had basically ignored his question, but Theo let him go, resuming the search for Liam. Theo's concerned solidified when he couldn't catch a scent from the beta wolf that wasn't a whole 3 days old.

 

When Theo had woken up this morning, Liam had already left the house. He always went on a morning run before school, but he would usually wake Theo up to run with him. When he didn't return home to change before school and ask Theo for a ride, the chimera became concerned, but brushed it off. Maybe Liam had decided to shower at school. Theo let it go, forgetting about it until he pulled up in the school parking lot and didn't see Liam joking and laughing with his friends. In fact, the last time Theo had seen Liam was when he woke up after another nightmare. He had decided to check the beta's room to make sure the Dread Doctors were not actually in there, operating on Liam. He knew it was a ridiculous concern, but the nightmare had shaken him up pretty bad. He remembered smelling something strange as he walked past the kitchen door to get a drink, yet his sleep idle brain brushed it off as nothing. Theo sprinted out of the school, heading back to Liam's house.

 

When he arrived, he checked the house. There was no sign of anything, yet Liam's window looked like it was opened recently. Theo frowned, pulling open the window and looking out. He saw the sunlight catch on something across the street. It was probably nothing, but Theo checked it out anyway. Rather than see a discarded soda can or something like that, something that he had been expecting, he saw the leather bracelet he had gotten Liam for his birthday. The sun, moon, and the word truth made of silver that intertwined with the leather of the bracelet had caught the light. Theo picked it up, twirling it around in his hand before a strange scent caught his nose. He searched for the smell again, recognizing it as the smell of blood. As the scent of Liam's blood filled his nose, Theo felt his wolf side growl in anger. He let the wolf take over, walking into the cover of the trees before fully shifting. He put on the bracelet before shifting. He grabbed his discarded clothes in his mouth, taking off and running around town until the faint smell of Liam's blood filled his nose again. He saw a black truck, the same make and model as his own. When he cautiously approached, the smell grew stronger until the point it made his coyote whine, wanting to escape it. His wolf side growled again before he crouched out of sight from the restaurant the truck was parked outside. He resolved to wait until the truck left to follow it.

 

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Meanwhile, Mason had reached the hospital. He walked to Corey's room, brushing it off as nerves when Dr. Geyer asked why he was in such a rush. When he reached the room, the nurse currently changing the chimera's IV bag looked up, her sweet smile turning sour at the sight of Mason. She left quickly again and Mason stood up, locking the door before walking back to Corey. He pulled the bandage aside, keeping an ear out for any noise outside the door. The wound was healed for the most part, angry red lines still appearing where the wound originated from. Mason pulled the IV from Corey's arm gently, a shaky breath coming from the chimera causing him to pause his movements. He sent a text to Liam, who didn't answer, and then to Theo, who also didn't read his text. He sighed, rolling his eyes before quickly texting Nolan. He still partially hated the boy, but he couldn't get Corey out on his own and Nolan had offered to help in any way he could.

 

Within a matter of minutes, Nolan was there. He knocked twice on the door and Mason let him in, quietly explaining his findings as quickly as he could. Nolan nodded, explaining that he would cause a distraction while the two got Corey out. Mason agreed, waiting for Nolan to come back. When he did, not even thirty seconds later a piercing alarm rang out. The two lifted Corey, who did no more than grown. They carried him out of the back entrance of the hospital, Mason laying him gently in the backseat of the car. The two humans tensed, crouching down behind the car when the nurse from earlier stormed out, going to a black truck parked behind an ambulance. She was talking fiercely into her phone before speeding away. While Mason couldn't make out what she said, he shrugged it off, getting into the car. He was so concerned with getting Corey out that he didn't notice when Nolan got in the passenger seat, leaving his bike parked in front of the hospital, his face pale. Only when Mason was far away from the hospital that he slowed down to the speed limit did he notice that Nolan hadn't said a word. He had been rambling non-stop since they left the hospital about how he "couldn't believed that they pulled that off," and that "See, I don't need Liam to do everything for me!" But Nolan hadn't said a word.

 

"Uh, Nolan, you good man?" Nolan simply shook his head, looking over at Mason with fear in his eyes. "woah dude what's wrong?" Nolan took a deep breath before answering.

 

"That nurse wasn't a nurse..." At Mason's confused look, he continued. "She was Monroe's right hand man.. or woman.. whatever you get the point."

 

"I thought you and Gabe were Monroe's right hand men." Mason felt kinda bad for mentioning Gabe, but not really. His curiosity seemed to outweigh Nolan's discomfort.

 

"No, we were close to her yes, but Laine and her husband Charlie were above us." Nolan looked guilty, yet kept his tone steady. "They were the ones who killed the most were-creatures," Mason nodded, glancing back at Corey, who was resting soundly in the backseat.

 

"Intense."

 

Nolan followed his eyes to where Corey was sitting up, breathing shakily. Mason pulled over, jumping out the car so quickly that he hit his head before climbing into the backseat and hugging Corey. Corey laughed, but it was a weak, pained laugh.

 

"Hey Mase..." He was cut off by Mason's stern tone.

 

"Don't you ever, ever do that again do you understand."

 

Rather than reply, Corey simply started having a coughing fit. He felt like he was going to cough something up, yet when he held out his hand all that fell was mercury and blood. The strange thing was that both the mercury and the blood were tinted blue. Nolan stared at it for a second before climbing over the center console into the driver's seat. He kept his eyes on the road as he sped towards Deaton's clinic.

 

"I didn't know they had finished that, Monroe said it would never work..." Nolan was mumbling more to himself than anyone else, yet Mason still picked up on it, patting Corey gently on the back as he had another coughing fit.

 

"Finished what?" Mason practically yelled this, causing Nolan to veer slightly off the road. "Finished what?" He demanded again, this time a bit quieter.

 

"They were trying to develop a stronger poison than wolfsbane alone, one that was only lethal to chimera's, but would still harm wolves. It could even kill a werewolf if they were given a high enough dosage. They were planning to put it in the water supply, since it doesn't harm humans." As Nolan spoke, he pushed the gas petal harder, arriving at Deaton's clinic as said man rushed out the door. They took Corey inside, laying him on the table. As he began seizing, Nolan frantically explained what it was.

 

"So can you help him?" Mason's tone was frantic, and he only ceased his pacing when Deaton nodded.

 

"I think I can cure him. Let me see what I can do."

 

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

When the truck pulled out of the parking lot, Theo, still in wolf form, began to follow. He stayed as far behind as he could, taking care not to be seen as he followed the truck. A man jumped out once it reached its destination. Theo looked up at the dilapidated warehouse at the edge of town with disgust, changing back into his human self and pulling on the clothes he had brought and stored in a bag he stole from from a man sitting at an outdoor coffee shop. He made sure the man had taken his stuff out before creeping closer, still in wolf form, and snatching the bag when the man got up to order. If anyone saw, they sure as hell didn't try to stop him. He had put the clothes he had previously been carrying in his mouth inside the bag, then shifted back into wolf form to wait for the truck to lead him to where his friend was being kept.

 

Once Theo was hastily dressed, he crept inside the building. He strained his ears to hear when all of a sudden a pained cry rang out. He instantly knew it was Liam, his nose assaulted with the smell of blood, fear, anger, and pain from Liam. He smelled nothing but hatred and anger rolling off the other man he smelled in the building. He followed the scent to a well guarded room in the basement of the warehouse. He silently took out the two guards, making sure he only killed one of them, before sneaking into the room as quietly as he could.

 

Liam looked up when someone entered, too quiet for the hunter's ears to pick up. He stared at Theo in shock for a second before a literal shock made him drop his head, growling at the man who had chained him to the metal gate. The man was asking him a question, but he heard nothing but blood rushing in his ears. He knew he had lost a lot of blood from the stab wound in his side, and had come to terms with the fact that he was dying. They had asked him question after question about the Dread Doctors, a creature known as the chimera of death, which Liam had never heard of, and about Scott, Derek, Stiles, Lydia, Corey, and Theo. The didn't seem to know anything about Mason though, which gave Liam some relief. Every time he refused to answer, the man shocked him, and every time the man shocked him, a fresh wave of blood rushed out of the wound, making Liam feel nauseous.

 

Theo had to clasp a hand over his mouth to keep a growl from escaping when he saw what they had done to Liam. He was bleeding profusely from his side, his head hanging only to jerk back up and let out a howl of pain every time he refused to answer a question. He froze, his body tensing up where he was hiding in the shadows when the man asked Liam about the so called, "Chimera of Death." Liam let out a shaky breath, looking the man in the eyes... well eye... before quietly uttering out an, "How many times do I have to tell you, old man, I. Don't. Know."

 

Theo wasn't all that surprised that even in this condition, Liam still managed to be a sassy little shit. The next question was about the current location of Scott McCall, which Liam had honestly forgotten. Theo almost let out another growl when Liam brushed off a question about his location, which earned Liam another electric shock. He was barely able to stop himself from rushing forward and ripping the man's throat out, only stopped by Liam shaking his head once. He hated even the thought of Liam being hurt because of him, seeing it just made it even more painful. When the man repeated the question, Liam barely able to catch his breath from the last shock, Theo stepped forward. He walked silently until he was directly behind the man, who's scent turned from hatred to confusion when Liam raised his head again, offering a bloody smile as Theo wrapped his arms around the man's neck. Theo had just intended to make the man fall unconscious, but when Liam's smile faltered and he passed out, sagging in his bindings, Theo snapped the man's neck without hesitation. Before the unnamed man even hit the floor, Theo was breaking the chains with a force he forgot he had, catching Liam as he fell. He sunk to the floor with him. When the beta hadn't replied to Theo calling his name, he shook him gently, being careful to avoid his wounds and burned spots on his arms, wrists, and back.

 

"Liam, open your eyes. Do you hear me? Open. Your. Eyes!" When Liam didn't move, or make any sign that he heard the older boy, Theo wrapped his hand around Liam's arm. He took as much pain as he could before his mind started going fuzzy. He let out a relieved sigh when Liam's eyes fluttered open slowly, looking up at Theo.

 

"Oh thank god..." Theo wasn't religious, but seeing Liam like that made him pray to the god of every religion he had ever heard of. Liam was still blinking up at him groggily when Theo raised the hand he had been using to take pain from Liam. He had simply left it against the beta wolf's arm, using it to shake him gently. Liam zoned in on the four fingers Theo held up in front of his face.

 

"Li, how many fingers am I holding up?" Liam smiled groggily when he heard the nickname. Theo had only called him that once or twice, most of the time it was either Littlewolf, Babywolf, Beta, or some altered version of his last name when he did something dumb. He heard Theo ask the question again and focused on the four, no.. two fingers that Theo was holding up in front of his face. When Liam muttered out a quiet, raspy "two." Theo felt so relieved he could cry. Instead, he shifted his arm that was holding Liam's back to rest just under his shoulders.

 

"Think you can stand Littlewolf?" Liam nodded weakly, using Theo's shoulder to brace himself and letting the warm hand on his back guide him as he stood up on shaky legs. Once Liam could stand with less support from Theo, they slowly made their way to the door.

 

"I'm not little you dick..." Liam let out a shaky laugh, coughing right after. Theo had started to laugh but stopped instantly when Liam coughed, pausing their steady walk to look at the werewolf, concern in his eyes.

 

"Are you alright Liam? Do you need to stop for a second?" When Liam shook his head, Theo slowly led him forward.

 

A quiet gasp was heard, and Theo's head snapped up from where he was too concerned helping Liam maneuver around the many tables and boxes around the room to notice the woman's presence. Liam coughed, looking at the woman in shock before speaking with a quiet voice.

 

"You're... You're the nurse..." He coughed before continuing. "...from the hospital! What... what did you do to Corey?!" It seemed to take a lot of Liam's strength to yell at the woman, and Theo sighed to himself. How could Liam be concerned about his friend when he was basically bleeding out, his hand resting on Theo's shoulder from where the chimera had been helping him walk. The woman glared at them before her eyes drifted to the man who had been torturing Liam.

 

"Oh god, Charles... What did you monsters do?" At the woman's accusatory squeal, Liam put his hands over his pounding head, causing him to lose his balance and fall forward. Theo caught him of course, but it gave the woman time to pull out a gun. Theo noticed a second to late, attempting to move Liam behind him as a shot rang out. He didn't seem to move in time, since the shot grazed his thigh and sunk into Liam's leg. Liam collapsed, falling onto the table near them. Theo growled, torn between pouncing on the woman who was loading another bullet and helping Liam. Luckily he didn't have to make the decision, a baseball bat raising above the woman's head and coming down hard, causing her to crumple into a pile on the floor. Theo's claws came out with a soft _click_ , and his eyes glowed. He moved in front of Liam, who was taking shallow breaths on the table behind him, but stopped short when Corey manifested out of thin air. Theo turned around, picking up Liam and carrying him bridal style over to Corey.

 

"He's hurt really bad. Im pretty sure he was stabbed in the side and then he was shot in the leg, plus electrocuted a ton and..." Theo's words came out in a rush, only stopping when Stiles barreled into the room, followed closely by Derek, who let out a frustrated huff of, "Dammit Stiles I said wait in the ca--" He cut off when he saw Theo holding Liam, involuntarily growling at Stiles when he came to close. Derek growled lightly in response before motioning outside, Stiles already following the older wolf to his car.

 

"We need to get him help." Theo nodded at Corey before setting off in a limpy run to Derek's car. The four of them pilled in quickly, Theo refusing to set his friend down. Corey pointed at the bullet in his thigh, which was smoking yellow.

 

"We need to get that out or he won't even make it to Deaton." This raised a growl out of Theo, who released his claws again and dug them as gently into Liam's thigh as he could manage. Liam woke up to let out a cry of pain, then fell unconscious again. Theo pulled the bullet out, accepting the lighter Stiles handed him. Liam chose this moment to blink his eyes open, letting out a groan of pain. Theo lifted his arm that was both holding up Liam's head and taking the lighter, putting the lighter in his other hand, the one he had used to dig out the bullet. He guided Liam's head to rest against the door, putting his free hand in front of Liam's mouth, who shook his head. But when Theo began burning out the wolfsbane he shifted and bit down hard on Theo's hand. Theo winced as Liam's fangs broke his skin but kept his other hand steady. Corey held Liam's legs, occassionally getting smacked as he thrashed around.

 

Liam's body sagged, passing out again as soon as Theo finished burning out the wolfsbane. Theo wiped his bloody hand on his pants, putting it behind Liam's head as Derek wrenched the door open without warning. Theo lifted Liam out of the car, walking past Corey, who held the door to the clinic open for him, and laid Liam down on the table. Deaton rushed in, asking what happened. Theo explained as quickly as possible, not taking his eyes off of Liam's pale face. Stiles, Derek, Corey, and Mason all stood around the table, asking Deaton various questions about his condition. Theo only looked up when Scott and Lydia rushed in, followed a few minutes later by Malia.

 

Theo tuned out their various questions, whether about where they found him, how they found him, who found him, why was he hurt, why was Corey no longer hurt... The questions seemed to never stop. Eventually, Theo pushed away from the table, basically sprinting outside. He hated to leave the beta wolf, but he couldn't take all the damn questions. He punched the brick wall until his knuckles broke, gave them two minutes to heal, then did it again. He repeated his for about 10 minutes until a strong hand grabbed his fist. He spun around, eyes glowing as he growled at the person. Scott took a step back, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture. Theo growled again but listened as Scott started speaking.

 

"Deaton said he will be alright, he just needs time to rest and let his body repair itself." Scott's words seemed to both calm Theo down and make him more angry.

 

"I should have found him earlier... I should have realized that bitch was ther--" Scott cut him off, placing a hand on Theo's shoulder to stop him from pacing. Theo shrugged his hand off, but stopped to let Scott talk.

 

"I'm surprised you found him, Corey said they most likely took him from his house. Were you stopping by to help with something? And how did you find him?" Theo looked surprised, forcing himself to not show both the surprise and the small amount of disappointment he felt when he heard the distrust in Scott's voice. He couldn't really blame him after all. He also didn't blame Liam for not telling Scott that the chimera was living with him. The older pack's hatred of him was no secret, so he knew how disappointed and angry they would be if they found out he was living under the same roof as Scott's precious beta.

 

"Just luck I guess..." He refused to meet Scott's eyes, brushing past him and walking back into the vet clinic. He still felt the need to punch something, put that feeling melted when he walked back in to see Liam resting peacefully on the table. He could smell that the beta was no longer in pain, which made his wolf practically purr in happiness. He looked around the room, seeing Mason and Corey talking with Deaton while Stiles stood beside Derek, talking with Lydia. Theo couldn't quite put a finger on what the smell rolling off of Derek was, but it made him wrinkle his nose slightly and move away. Derek simply glared at nothing, seemingly lost in thought, but when he glanced at Stiles, Theo felt the need to take a few steps back. He finally realized what the smell was; Derek was being _possessive_ over _Stiles._ Theo brushed off the thought, walking over to look down at Liam. Malia seemed to have slipped out of the room once he walked in, most likely going to talk to Scott. Once Mason and Corey finished talking to Deaton, they walked over to Theo. Corey offered him a sympathetic smile, and Mason offered to buy him dinner for saving his best friend. Theo refused, but thanked him. Once Mason went back to talk to Deaton, Corey and Theo sat in comfortable silence. Corey watched Mason, a small smile on his face, while Theo watched Liam sleep, his face emotionless but his eyes showing his guilt. 

 

Corey looked over when he realized Theo asked him a question, breaking his trance. "I'm sorry what?" Theo repeated his question, asking Corey what happened to him,

 

"Oh you know, just taking a break from studying. I decided to take a walk in the woods when some crazy lady comes up behind me, yells my name, then stabs me in the chest with some stake or something. I was pretending to be dead so she would go away or something, kinda like you do with bears you know?" Theo didn't know, but he nodded anyway, prompting Corey to continue. "...when she mentioned she was looking for a Death Chimera or something like that... Doesn't really matter because apparently I'm not the lucky winner. Have you ever heard of a Death Chimera?" Theo shook his head, turning to look back at Liam so that Corey couldn't see the panicked look in his eyes.

 

Theo let out a rushed, "Never heard of him... it" Corey opened his mouth to speak again when Mason called his name. Corey got up, patting Theo on the shoulder before walking over to his boyfriend and holding his hand as they talked with Deaton, Derek occasionally interjecting into the conversation. Theo watched everyone interact, not willing to participate. 

  

Eventually, the pack left. Stiles and Derek piled into Derek's new car, Malia and Scott drove to his house, and Lydia gave Mason and Corey a ride home. Theo was left alone at the clinic, even Deaton had left. He had given Theo a key and told him to lock up when the chimera left, but Theo simply locked the door from the inside, grabbing a chair and pulling it up in front of the examination table. Deaton had covered the beta with a blanket, and he looked smaller than Theo had remembered, more fragile. Theo laid his head on his arms, wincing slightly when he came into contact with the claw marks in his arm and the bruises on his knuckles. He had kept himself from healing, feeling like shit for not getting to Liam on time. He had convinced himself that this was all his fault by the time that he passed out from the pain, his good hand still wrapped tight around Liam's wrist. His veins flowed black even for minutes after he fell unconscious, until finally his body entered such a deep sleep that his subconscious stopped taking the younger boy's pain.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow sorry this is kinda late, I broke my wrist yesterday so typing is very slow. This chapter was hella angsty, and my Sterek loving ass couldn't help but add them in. Sorry about all the language in this chapter, this fic is not for children *Covers the childrens' eyes.* This chapter is literally just a feels dump but hopefully it's ok. Sorry if the changing between Mason and Theo was confusing, I just kind of let my brain run rampant with this chapter. Lowkey inspired by War of Hearts by Ruelle. "But Sharky! That's the Malec song!" you may be yelling, well that's too bad. Bc I was feeling angsty and that song came on and I was like "Should I make a Malec edit or finally write chapter 3." And you see the result. Let me know if there's any mistakes!


	4. Chapter 4

 

Theo woke up to the sound of something clanging around in the break-room attached to the main reception area of the animal clinic. When it finally registered there was no longer a warm arm under his hand, he sat up, letting out a soft growl before walking silently to the kitchen. Anger flowed through his veins as he got closer to the room. If Liam had been taken again, there would be hell to pay. Theo was a lot less murder-y now, but if someone hurt Liam while he was there, sleeping, then god help them. Theo would gladly take on Scott, alpha powers be damned, if he was the one who took the beta.

 

Theo growled again, his eyes glowing yellow as he opened the door quickly, slamming it against the wall. At the loud noise, Liam let out a squeak. He would later deny having ever made the sound, but it was most definitely a squeaking noise. He also dropped his bowl of cereal and the box, the milk staying on the counter where Liam had been about to pour it. Wait, where did he even get cereal from?

 

Theo voiced this thought as he bent down, picking up the pieces of ceramic before Liam had a chance to cut his hand on them, which there was no doubt he would do. Liam picked up the cereal box and the cereal that had scattered all over the floor.

 

 "I found it in the cabinet... why were your eyes glowing when you came in?" Liam set the cereal box, now mostly empty, on the counter and turned back to Theo. Theo attempted to avoid the question by dumping the remnants of the bowl into the trash, but when he turned around Liam caught his gaze.

 

"I thought someone had kidnapped you again..." Theo had the urge to roll his eyes at himself; he sounded so pathetic, even to his own ears. Liam did not seem to have the same reaction however. He blushed, trying to cover it up by turning to pour himself a glass of orange juice... where is he getting this stuff?! It was definitely not there earlier. When Liam's face turned red, Theo looked at him in confusion before realization dawned over him. He had the urge to bang his head against the wall. How had he not noticed before? With this newfound knowledge, he spun Liam around.

 

Theo pressed an insistent hand to Liam's forehead, pushing away the hand that was swatting at Theo's arm.

 

"How did I not notice? God I'm such an idiot. You have a fever, go lay down Liam." Liam had frozen when Theo had spun him around, terrified that he had seen Liam's blush, but when Theo put a cold palm against his head, Liam had the urge to press into the cool feeling. He ignored this, trying to swat away Theo's hand before he did something stupid, but the chimera was persistent.

 

 Liam sighed, stumbling after the chimera who pulled him to the front of the animal clinic, keeping the wolf behind him and unlocking the door. He motioned for Liam to wait where he is before stepping outside. When he couldn't sense anyone, he grabbed the werewolf's wrist, not letting go until they were standing in front of a motorcycle parked at the office building only a block away. Liam felt bad for whoever owned the stunning bike, but he knew he could convince Theo to return it later. Liam watched in fascination as Theo got the bike started without the keys, both wondering where he learned to do that and how he knew how to drive a motorcycle. He didn't have long to think about it though, because when Theo climbed on, motioning for Liam to climb on behind him, Liam's brain short-circuited. Liam didn't realize that he had just been standing there until Theo's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He tried to push the thought of Theo bending him ov--

 

"Liam? I asked you if you were ok to ride." When Theo asked him the question again, Liam nodded quickly, climbing on the bike behind the older boy and wrapping his arms around his toned stomach.

 

"Sorry, just wondering how you did that." Theo heard the skip in Liam's heartbeat but ignored it, more than happy to explain the process and where he learned it. Liam found himself nodding along, listening to Theo's explanation and also ignoring some of the words, just listening to the deep rumble of Theo's voice muffled by the wind. Liam could feel the vibrations from Theo's voice as he leaned his head on the older boy's shoulders. He passed it off as a headache, which he did in fact have, but he was honestly just cold. The wind nipped at his bare arms, and he wrapped them tighter around Theo, who in turn drove faster. They pulled up to Liam's house, Theo cutting off the bike and following Liam inside. Jenna welcomed them home, and Liam shot a confused look at Theo over his mom's shoulder. Theo shrugged, pointing at the stairs.

 

 "Sorry to bother you Mrs. Jenna, but we had to come home early since Liam caught a fever." Jenna looked over at Theo, then frowned at her son, placing a hand on his forehead. She gave her son a concerned look, before telling the boys to head upstairs and that she would bring some soup for Liam. As soon as they got up the stairs, Liam's room felt like it was a hundred degrees. Theo sensed his discomfort and turned the AC down. He was in the middle of figuring out how many extra hours he should take on to sneak Jenna the money for the added bill when Liam spoke up.

 

"So how did you get us out of a stern lecture?" Theo grinned, pulling out his phone. He showed Liam a text sent to his mom. Liam began reading it aloud, laughing the whole time.

 

"Really Theo..." Liam laughed, deepening his voice to mock Theo's. "Hello, Liam and I are staying at the school for extra lacrosse practice. Liam says coach made a last minute decision to have the players stay overnight. I will be home by noon tomorrow but Liam may stay longer. Have a nice day - Theo Raeken." Liam stopped laughing long enough to hand the phone back to Theo.

 

"I can't believe she actually bought that." Theo's reply about how she would have no reason not to, since he had never lied to her, was cut off by Jenna's voice from the doorway.

 

"Bought what? Where were you boys actually last night, and does Liam really have a fever?" Jenna had set the soup down on the TV stand near the door to Liam's room, resting a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow. Liam simply blushed, looking down. Jenna's blue eyes snapped to Theo when he cleared his throat. Her stern look melted at the guilty look on Theo's face. She didn't know much about Theo's younger life, but she had gathered that he had not had a kind childhood. She could see it in the way he would often flinch when David raised his voice and hands during stories or while watching lacrosse games. She could see it in the way he shrunk away from most kinds of physical attention, and would often space out during conversations, flinching slightly when Liam would put a hand on his arm to gain his attention once more.

 

She was bought back to the present by Theo's regret-filled voice. "I'm sorry Mrs. Geyer, we should have told you that some of Liam's friends had taken a break from college to visit." When Jenna gently asked him who, assuring the two teens that it was quite alright, but that they should have told her anyway, Theo once again spoke up.

 

"Scott, Malia, Stiles, and Lydia. We went to Lydia's lake house after school. We had turned off our phones except to send the text. Liam stayed too long in the lake and caught a cold though, so I borrowed Scott's new bike and brought him home." Liam nodded along with his story, staring at Theo as he talked. Theo's heart would skip a beat every now and then, yet he showed no physical signs he was lying. Jenna seemed content with his answer, handing the soup to Theo before walking out of the room. Liam sighed, laying back against his headboard. He gladly accepted the soup from Theo, drinking half of it as quickly as he could. Theo snatched it away, grumbling about how he was going to make himself sick. Liam gave him puppy dog eyes, making grabby hands at the warm soup. Theo rolled his eyes and sighed, but handed the pouting beta the soup anyway. Theo caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror as he sat at the end of Liam's bed. His hair was terrible and blood had stained his shirt in strange patterns. Jenna must have thought it was just the design of the shirt since she didn't comment. Theo got up to go to his room to change, receiving a confused look from Liam. He stopped when he saw his favorite hoodie neatly folded on Liam's dresser. He picked it up, shrugging to himself, thinking Jenna must have put it in the wrong room. He pulled his shirt off, throwing it in onto the pile of Liam's dirty clothes, changing into his hoodie. He failed to notice how Liam choked on his soup, biting his tongue when Theo took off his shirt. Liam prayed that Theo didn't smell him on the hoodie, since he had wore it over the weekend while the chimera was at work. Liam wasn't sure what Theo did with the small salary he made working at a small diner about 15 minutes from house, but he would always bring Liam some for lunch. Liam often got lonely on weekends when Theo wasn't there and Mason was busy with Corey. Playing video games alone just wasn't as fun.

 

He looked up from the soup he had resumed drinking after Theo had left the room, surprise on his face when Theo re-entered and turned on the small TV. Theo started a game of Mario Kart, pausing it when Liam spoke.

 

"I thought you had left to return the bike." Liam wasn't sure why he had said that, but he wanted to talk to the chimera. Theo looked at him like he had grown a second head.

 

"I'm not going to leave while you're sick dumb-bar. I texted Scott, he said he will return it." Liam stuck his tongue out at the chimera when he called him dumb-bar, but nodded when he told him about Scott, watching as Theo returned to the game.

 

After about an hour, he felt much better. He climbed out of the bed, sitting beside Theo and connecting the second controller. Theo looked over, putting a hand to Liam's forehead again. He seemed pleased with his findings since he made a humming noise, starting a new game. Liam lost of course, and demanded a rematch. When he lost again, (He isn't a pro at rainbow road like Theo is, thank you very much) he snatched away Theo's controller, who started laughing. They started wrestling over the controller, then when the controller was discarded, having slid under the bed during their fighting, they continued wrestling. They were so caught up in rolling around on the floor, each trying to gain the upper hand over the other, Theo being careful to avoid spots of Liam's previous injuries, that they failed to notice Scott and Malia enter the house as Jenna left, greeting her kindly. Theo's claws slipped loose without his knowledge, adrenaline pumping his veins. His claws scrapped Liam's side, but the beta didn't seem to notice. Liam's claws had also come out, scratching Theo's thigh. Seconds later, Theo was being thrown into a wall, not getting a chance to catch his breath before an arm was being pressed against his throat. He was raised off the floor, still unable to get any air in his lungs to fight back. Theo heard Liam yelling from where Malia was standing between him and Scott, who still had Theo pinned to the wall.

 

"Let him go, Scott!" Malia was trying to calm down a yelling Liam, who growled at her, his eyes glowing. Malia blinked at him in surprise and Liam used that moemnt to scramble over to Scott, pulling at his arm. Theo's vision was beginning to blur around the edges, black spots dancing in his vision. He gasped, his lungs beginning to run out of air. Even a werewolf could die without enough air, and Theo wasn't even a real werewolf. He let his arms fall away from Scott's arm, looking at Liam who dug his claws into Scott's arm, pulling harder.

 

"Scott you're killing him! Scott!" When the alpha's only response was to shift, pressing harder on Theo's throat and growling at Liam before answering.

 

"We should have killed him as soon as the war ended. But we didn't, and now he attacked you." Liam growled at this, scared for Theo but also frustrated they wouldn't listen. He shifted, raising his hand to claw Scott's back when Theo shook his head as much as he was able, gasping for air once more before speaking.

 

"Don't risk your place in the pack for this Li, it's not worth it." Theo's words came out in a rush, and black started to take over his vision when the pressure was released and his knees hit the wooden floor. He took in huge gasps of air, coughing when his lungs were full again. Liam was by his side in an instant, growling at Scott. He had tried to ignore the unsaid notion that Theo didn't value his life higher than Liam's position in Scott's pack. A cough from Theo snapped his attention back to the present, and he patted the older boy's back gently. When Theo was able to breath mostly normally again, he looked up, glaring at Scott. Malia was holding Scott's elbow, glancing between Liam and Theo. She whispered something that the two couldn't hear into Scott's ear, gaining a look of surprise. When Scott began talking, Liam let out a soft growl.

 

"You called him Li. _None_ of us have ever called him that." Theo nodded, glancing at Liam then focusing his gaze back on Malia and Scott. Theo still didn't trust his voice to form words, but he didn't have to because Liam spoke, his voice dripping in anger.

 

"That's right, because right after he finished saving our asses, again, Theo was living in his truck. So I invited him to live with me. He's saved my ass even more after that, and we're lucky he found me last night, because no one else even noticed I was gone. I don't know why you guys came back to Beacon Hills, but if it was just to kill Theo, then you can leave, because that's not happening." Scott looked shocked at his words, holding his hands up. Both he and Malia took a step back. Liam didn't realize he had shifted and was growling at the two until he heard Theo muttering quietly to Liam, his voice shaky and sounding like someone had rubbed sandpaper along his vocal cords.

 

"What three things cannot long be hidden Liam?" Liam took a deep breath, keeping his eyes fixed on Theo, who was leaning back against the wall and rubbing his throat. "Answer me Littlewolf."

 

"The sun, the moon, and the truth."

 

"Good, say it again." Liam repeated it two more times before he was calm enough to shift back. He had shifted closer to the chimera during the ordeal, now sitting calmly with his shoulder pressed against the chimera's. Scott and Malia had watched the conversation between the two, exchanging knowing glances. Theo made Liam close his eyes and continue repeating the phrase, nodding to the doorway. The couple left the house, having driven to the end of Liam's street before his eyes ever opened. Once Liam was calm and Scott had left driving the stolen bike while Malia drove his car, Theo stood up, coughing once more before siting on Liam's bed. He drank the glass of water he had brought Liam earlier, the cool liquid helping to ease the burn in his throat. Liam opened his eyes when the comforting presence of Theo's shoulder had left his, rushing over to pace the room in front of the bed.

 

"Oh God Theo I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to claw you and that's probably why Scott attacked you... Are you ok? Did he hurt you.. wait of course he did, don't be an idiot Lia-" Theo's dry laugh cut off his rambling, a hand catching his arm and pulling him to sit beside the older were-creature.

 

"I'm fine Littlewolf, I promise. But you need to apologize to Scott. Being in his pack is good for you, it keeps you safe." Liam shook his head, anger replacing the worry on his face.

 

"No way, he tried to kill you!" Liam continued shaking his head until Theo sighed, rolling his eyes.

 

"And I killed him, so now we're _almost_ even." Liam growled at this, grabbing Theo's arm when he stood up to leave the room.

 

"You're different now, you've done nothing but help the pack. You deserve to be the alpha of Beacon Hills. Scott isn't here anyway..." Theo looked at him in shock, his mouth literally falling open for a moment before he closed it quickly, pulling out of Liam's grasp and practically bolting for the door.

 

"I'm not even a real were-wolf Liam, I couldn't be alpha. Besides you're the next alpha of Beacon Hills." Theo realized he said to much, bolting down the stairs and out of the house, Liam yelling behind him, asking what that was supposed to mean.

 

Theo jumped in his truck, driving as fast as he could while his brain reeled. How could he let something like that slip? God he's such an idiot. He didn't realize he had stopped the truck until he found himself at the bridge where he had let his sister die, deep in the preserve. Theo cut off the truck, letting the tailgate down and sitting on it, staring at the stars. He sighed, tearing his gaze away from the twinkling lights and pulling out the book he had stolen from one of the Dread Doctors. It was just like their other ones, foretelling not only the re-awakening of Sebastien Valet and The Beast of Gévaudan, but also of a supposed "Chimera of Death." This chimera would be faster, stronger, more lethal. Yet to gain this power it will have to complete all the "trials" unwillingly. Theo had only translated 2 of the 5 trials. Theo didn't want the power, but neither did the foretold chimera. The first trial would be to travel to the "realm of nightmares" as they called it, second is allow a true alpha to realize his power. Theo had yet to translate the rest, but he didn't like the sound of what he had translated so far. Step 1, check. He understood step two tonight when he saw Liam stand against his alpha for someone who had caused so much destruction and loss. The reason of why he stood against Scott aside, no beta would be willing to do that, it just wasn't in their nature. Only a repressed Alpha would be that hostile towards another alpha. He now understood precisely why the Dread Doctors had labeled him as a failure for their current experiment, yet had kept him alive. They meant to use him as their second experiment.

 Theo slammed the book closed, glaring at it like the book itself put the prophesy in motion, though in a way it did. He had just hidden the book and returned to staring up at the night sky when he heard a twig snap. He looked over, but when the smell of cinnamon mixed with that of a raging forest fire hit his nose, he waved his hand towards himself.

 

"Come on out Littlewolf, you should really at least try to be quiet when you spy on someone." Liam sighed, walking out from behind a tree and jumping up onto the tailgate to sit beside Theo.

 

"Watcha looking at?" Theo looked over at Liam before looking back at the sky.

 

"The stars." Theo glanced back over at Liam, who nodded and stared at the sky, the light catching in his eyes as he pointed out various constellation and what they meant for the Ancient Greeks. Theo already knew all of this, but he continued to watch Liam. As Theo watched Liam, his smile faded slightly. Liam was so young, just a 17 year old kid mixed up in stuff he didn't truly understand. He should be going to parties and dating, going to school dances and doing well in his history classes. Not having to use his knowledge of history to keep them from getting killed, and risking being shot or stabbed or tortured every time he left his house. He should be hiding report cards from his parents, not hiding the fact that he was a supernatural being. Theo looked back at the sky, his chest aching at everything the younger teen had gone through in just 2 short years.

 

"Hey T? Did you hear me?" Theo jumped slightly, glancing over at Liam. Liam didn't often use the nickname he had for Theo, since his name alone was a nickname. No one but Liam knew that of course, Theo having admitted his name was actually Theodore during a round of drunk truth or dare.

 

"No, sorry. What is it Babywolf?" Liam blushed at the nickname, glad Theo had fixed his gaze back on the stars and didn't see.

 

"I asked if we could go home, I'm kinda cold." Liam felt bad for breaking one of Theo's only moments of peace, but his fever had come back, his body still trying to fight to small bit of wolfsbane still in his system.

 

Theo nodded quickly, pulling off the leather jacket he had thrown on over his hoodie and draping it over Liam's shoulders. He climbed off the truck, a now much warmer Liam following him. He raised the tailgate, cranking the truck up and turning the heater on for Liam.

 

When they pulled up to the house, they saw both Scott and Derek's cars in the driveway. Liam started growling and Theo rested a hand on his arm, arching an eyebrow.

 

"Do you want to go to that one Chinese restaurant you like? I can tell them to leave then we can go eat if you want." Liam was about to accept, offering Theo a small smile when a knock at the window made them both jump, Theo pulling his arm away quickly while Liam rolled down his window. Stiles began talking as soon as it was down far enough to see his face.

 

"Sorry to interrupt but we've got a small problem. You guys need to come inside." Theo sighed, unlocking the truck and both he and Liam jumped out, following Stiles inside. Scott greeted them hesitantly when they walked in, Theo glaring at him slightly but nodding from his spot behind Liam, putting his hands on Liam's shoulders and steering him to stand next to Corey and Mason. the soft leather of the well-worn jacket shifting under his hands as Liam walked. Theo had to stifle a laugh when Liam sneezed. Theo whispered in his ear about how he's more like a kitten than a wolf. Liam fake-growled at him, but it faded into a real growl when he saw Scott glaring at Theo over the top of his head. Theo seemed to notice and kept himself between Scott and Liam, scanning the small crowd in the room. Derek leaned his shoulder against the wall, his arm around Stiles' shoulders. Stiles was talking to Scott and Malia, unconsciously leaning into to Derek as he gestured wildly with this hands. Lydia clapped her hands, drawing all of the attention to her. She began talking, even Stiles going quiet to listen.

 

"We have a problem." She paused for dramatic effect, ignoring Liam's mutter of "yeah, you think," which earned him an elbow in the side curtesy of one Theo Raeken. She began looking every person in the room, even Theo and Nolan, in the eyes.

 

"Monroe is back... And she has help." Theo felt the need to grown at this, he had grown accustomed to not fighting that bitch for their lives every five seconds.

 

When Mason asked what kind of help she had that was so bad they were all called here, Scott spoke up next, looking around the group, well... with the exception of Theo.

 

"Supernatural help."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof this chapter turned out way angsty-er than I had intended. Oh well we got some thiam feels out of it I hope. Also Scott was kinda a dick in this chapter but he's just bein' protective over his son I guess *enter shrug emoji here*   
> Please correct any mistakes and let me know what I should improve for the next Chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

 

After Scott said that, the room descended into utter madness. Everyone began talking amongst themselves, their voices raising louder and louder to be heard over each other. Theo was concerned yes, but he could feel Liam’s rising anxiety levels. Theo felt the exact moment Liam started to have an episode, his IED always kicking in when he was faced with high-stress circumstances that were out of his control. Theo wrapped a hand around his wrist, pulling Liam behind him as he made a beeline for the door. When Malia stepped in front of the two, Theo let a growl slip out, his eyes glowing as he tried to step around her. She once again blocked their path, but when she saw Liam beginning to shift, she simply nodded to Theo, moving aside without a word.

 

Theo unlocked the truck, pushing Liam into the passenger side and climbing into the driver’s seat, starting the truck. He sped out of the driveway, rolling through the stop sign and only slowing down when they were far away from the street Liam’s house was on. He looked over with concern when he heard Liam whispering the calming phrase under his breath. When Liam didn’t seem to be calming down much, Theo began repeating it with him. Liam eventually took a deep breath, sagging against the passenger seat.

 

“Thank you, Theo.” Theo nodded, not taking his eyes off the road until they were parking in front of the Chinese restaurant. He cut the car off, but neither of them moved to get out.

 

“No need to thank me, Littlewolf. We didn’t need you going off and losing even more trust with the pack, did we? They are already pissed enough that you let me stay with you.” Liam looked down, then looked over at Theo.

 

“Let them be. I’m sorry I didn’t tell them that you were living here sooner. Scott almost killed you because I was afraid…” Liam’s voice became so quiet towards the ending that Theo almost didn’t hear him. Theo frowned slightly, wondering what Liam was afraid of. He voiced this concern, asking if something had happened between the pack and Liam previously. Liam shook his head before speaking hesitantly.

 

“I was scared they would try to kick you out…” Liam laughed slightly before continuing. “Which really wouldn’t be smart since you’re basically 75% of my impulse control.” Theo let out an offended gasp, placing a hand over his heart.

 

“Only 75%, I’m wounded Liam. Who dares be the other 35% of the angry beta’s impulse control?” Theo grinned at Liam when he rolled his eyes, muttering out Mason’s name. Theo nodded at this, opening his door. Liam glared at Theo when his joke finally caught up with him.   
  


"I do not need 110% impulse control. I'm just fine with 100% thank you. So you can take your 75%, reduce it to 65%, and shove it up your ass." 

 

“Harsh. Hungry, Littlewolf?” Liam’s stomach growled in response, causing Theo to laugh. Liam jumped out of the truck after Theo did, and the two walked into the mostly empty Chinese restaurant. After placing their orders, the two sat across from one another in the small booth. The restaurant was mostly empty except for one older couple who gave the two boys disapproving looks. They got up and left, grumbling the whole time, when Liam laughed to loudly. This earned them a glare from Theo, but his attention was drawn to the massive plate of food that was set in between the two. Liam instantly dug in, eating like a wolf. Theo laughed at his own mental joke and Liam’s antics, earning him an arched eyebrow. Liam looked ridiculous, his mouth stuffed with food as he arched an eyebrow at the chimera. Theo help up a finger, telling him to stay like that while he dug out his phone. He opened the camera and when Liam made an even more confused face, he took a picture.

 

He showed it to Liam, who attempted to grab the phone and delete it. He only succeeded in choking on the mouthful of rice he had. This made Theo laugh even harder, throwing his head back and really, truly laughing. Liam stopped with the fork halfway to his mouth for another bite, simply watching Theo. He hurried to shove it in his mouth when Theo stopped laughing, putting his phone into the pocket of his hoodie.

 

“Hey, save some for the poor old chimera.” Liam pulled the plate towards him in response, shoveling more food into his mouth. Theo grabbed another fork, taking a bite of the sesame chicken they had ordered. They looked up when Scott and Malia entered, Liam letting out a growl and setting down his fork. When Liam moved to get out of the booth, Theo jumped out of his side, sliding in next to the werewolf. He blocked Liam’s exit, simply shaking his head before continuing to eat. Liam let out a soft growl but backed down when Theo glared at him.

 

Liam was in the middle of taking another bite when Malia guided Scott over to where they were sitting. The two slid into the booth, Scott across from Liam and not meeting his eyes. Liam however, was more than happy to glare at Scott as he ate. Theo stopped eating when they sat down, narrowing his eyes.

 

“What are you two doing here?” Scott looked over at him, meeting his eyes for the first time since he almost killed the chimera.

 

“We could ask you guys the same thing, we always used to come here for dates.” Theo looked over at Malia when she spoke, simply nodding. When Scott spoke, he only looked at Liam, acting like Theo wasn’t even there.

 

“You know Liam; you should be more careful now that the hunters are back in Beacon Hills. Especially since you, Corey and Mason are here without the rest of the pack around to help.” Liam scowled at this but put on a clearly fake smile, patting Theo on the knee.

 

“Good thing we have _Theo_ to save our asses every five minutes.” Theo looked up from his food when Liam put emphasis on his name, simply nodding and offering a small smile. He hadn’t heard what the beta had said, but he probably agreed anyway. Theo resumed eating, only pausing to slide the plate closer to Malia when she returned with another fork.

 

“Yeah but what if Theo turns on you again?” Theo winced when Liam’s claws dug into the flesh right above his knee. He set a hand on Liam’s wrist, who let out a deep breath, retracting his claws. Theo had brought the beta here to decompress, not get worked up yet again. He leaned over, whispering something about how Scott’s mistrust must be because his big ears picked up on all the plotting Theo did in his attempt to overthrow Beacon Hills. Liam laughed at that, burying his face in Theo’s shoulder. He whispered his reply in Theo’s ear, causing the older boy to grin, covering his mouth with his hand and speaking to Liam again.

 

Malia watched the two, elbowing Scott in the ribs when he went to speak again. She reached over, tapping Liam on the shoulder. He pulled away from Theo, glancing at her warily. When Malia began speaking, she glanced over at Scott before looking back to the two sitting across from her.

 

“Scott isn’t going to say it, so I will. It’s no secret that we don’t trust Theo, but if he really changed, then I have no issue with him.” She looked at Theo when she spoke next, “And from what I’ve seen since we got here, you’ve definitely changed. None of us can calm Liam down, let alone calm him down so quickly.” She looked back at Liam and began speaking again, no one daring to interrupt the werecoyote. “So if he makes you happy, then that’s fine with me.”

 

The two looked shocked, but when they started laughing. Liam’s face was tinted red, muttering out that they aren’t dating. Scott interjected, causing the two to stop laughing, looking at him.

 

“I still don’t trust him, he tried to destroy the pack, killed me, almost got Liam killed, and lied so many times I don’t know if he’s capable of telling the truth.” Theo looked down at the table, then under it to where Liam’s hand was still resting on his leg. When Liam started growling, he began playing with the bracelet that was still on his wrist.

 

“He’s right Liam... I should g-” he wasn’t able to finish his sentence, getting cut off by Malia who pointed at the bracelet and the tattoo on the inside of his wrist.

 

“Where did you get those? Isn’t that the motto Liam uses?” Liam looked over, smiling brightly when he saw the bracelet. When Theo took it off, handing it to him, his smile widened.

 

“No way, I can’t believe you found it! I thought I had lost it for good this time.” Theo simply shrugged, putting his hand onto his leg where Liam’s was previously resting. He was attempting to hide his wrist, but Malia seemed to notice this and grabbed both his and Liam’s arms. She held the bracelet up to the tattoo, making small humming noises as she examined it. The tattoo was simple, depicting a moon next to a sun with the word truth inside. She looked up at the two before speaking.

 

“Where did you get the bracelet Liam? Why is it so important to you?” Liam blushed, yanking his arm back and running a finger over the silver of the bracelet. Liam seemed to recover from his embarrassment, smiling over at Theo before turning to Malia. He looked between her and Scott as he talked.

 

“He gave it to me for my birthday. Both of my parents had to work all day so Theo and Mason threw me a party. The whole lacrosse team came. But when they finally left, Mason, Corey, Nolan, Theo, and I watched a movie. After the movie Nolan, Mason, and Corey left so Theo and I started another movie.” Liam began talking in great detail about the movie, but Theo tapped him on the wrist and he returned to the story. “Anyway, I must have fallen asleep because when my mom woke me up so we could go get dinner at that one restaurant I like, there was a small box on my bed. I asked Theo about it almost 7 times at dinner before he admitted buying it.” Malia nodded along with the story, not seeming all the surprised. Scott however looked like Liam just told him he was pregnant. When Theo arched an eyebrow at Scott, he began speaking.

 

“ _Theo_ bought you a gift? Theo Raeken… bought you a _gift_.” Liam frowned at Scott’s disbelieving tone. Theo shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable.

 

"Yeah, what’s so bad about that?” Theo smirked at Liam’s defensive tone, but let out a growl when Scott yanked Liam’s arm over to examine it. Liam let out a pained yelp and struggled to pull his arm out of Scott’s grasp, glancing over at Theo.

 

“It doesn’t have wolfsbane or anything. Why did you give it to him?” Scott glared at Theo, releasing Liam’s arm.

 

“Don’t you usually give your friends gifts on their birthdays? Or is that just another untrue fact I learned growing up with the insane Dread Doctors?” Theo’s tone dripped sarcasm, causing Malia to snicker from where she had been silently watching the interaction. Scott simply narrowed his eyes in response. He stared at Theo for a few more seconds before sitting back in the booth.

 

“Maybe you really did change.” Liam growled at him one more time, rubbing his arm where Scott had grabbed it. Liam’s arms were still burned from being electrocuted. The burns were the only thing that was healing slowly, not matter how many times he triggered his healing. Whenever Theo grabbed his arm to lead him somewhere, he was careful to avoid the burn spots, but Scott didn’t seem to notice. Theo looked over at him with concern when Liam continued to rub the sore spot on his arm. He gently grabbed Liam’s wrist, watching his face for any sign of pain as the veins in his arm turned black.

 

When he released his wrist, Liam sighed in relief, smiling at him. Theo looked back over at Scott and Malia. Scott’s mouth was literally hanging open while Malia had a look of surprise in her eyes.

 

“You… You took his pain.” Theo arched an eyebrow, simply nodding at Scott.

 

“Yeah, no thanks to you. C’mon Littlewolf, we’re leaving.” Theo threw a five on the table for the waitress as he stepped out of the booth, Liam following close behind him. Liam waved to the employees, walking past Theo who was holding the door open for him. They missed the way that Scott whispered the nickname in confusion to Malia, who simply shrugged and ate the rest of the food on the table. When they got in the truck, Theo nodded towards Liam’s arm, who turned to him when he spoke.

 

“Your arm ok?” Liam nodded, smiling slightly and attempting to say thanks. His words came out mumbled over a yawn and Theo laughed slightly, starting the truck. After no more than 10 minutes, they were pulling into the driveway of Liam’s house. Theo parked in his usual spot, relieved when all the other cars were gone. Liam’s stepdad would be gone almost all night and Jenna wouldn’t be home for 2 days. Liam changed clothes then plopped down on the couch as soon as he was inside. Theo went into the kitchen and grabbed two beers, lacing them with a small amount of wolfsbane, sitting down beside Liam and handing one of the drinks to him. Liam had picked a movie, yawning as soon as the beginning credits started playing. He made it all of 20 minutes into the movie before he fell asleep, drooling on Theo’s shoulder. Theo threw their empty drinks away then fell asleep almost an hour later, his head falling back to rest on the top of the couch.

 

When David came home a few hours later, Theo had stayed in the same spot, but Liam’s head had fallen into the older boy’s lap. The rest of Liam’s body was curled up in the fetal position, his shoes thrown somewhere near the TV stand. David tapped Theo on the shoulder as he walked by, turning off the TV which had paused on the end credits once the movie ended. Theo woke up with a jolt, only causing Liam to snore louder and shift around slightly. Theo looked at the time blinking on the DVD player, squinting slightly to be able to see the 1:30 a.m. David pointed to the stairs then at Liam.

 

“Can you get him upstairs, he looks pretty comfy, but he will complain about his neck hurting tomorrow during lacrosse if he doesn’t sleep in his bed.” David laughed at his own words, patting Theo on the shoulder when he nodded sleepily. Theo tapped Liam on the shoulder, attempting to wake him up. He received only a grumbled, “five more minutes, dad” in response. Theo sighed, getting up carefully. He made sure not to wake Liam up before throwing him over his shoulder with more difficulty than he would like to admit. He laughed when Liam let out a surprised squeak, waking up at the sudden movement. Liam seemed to settle down once Theo started walking towards the stairs, yawning again.

 

Theo dumped an already asleep Liam on the bed, turning to leave when a hand on his wrist stopped him. Theo yawned, trying to brush off Liam’s hand. When Liam muttered out a quiet, “Stay” Theo’s brain short-circuited.

 

“I’m sorry what?” Theo knew his brain must be playing tricks on him. There was no way that the sleepy werewolf had just asked him to stay.

 

“Askin’ if you’ll stay.” Liam’s words were muffled by the pillow but Theo heard them nonetheless. He looked between the door and Liam’s head peeking out from the mountain of blankets, resting on the pillow. He felt his resolve cracking at the sight, but when Liam mumbled about how, “’S fine T, you don’t gotta” that resolve crumbled. He steeled himself, not wanting to risk the friendship he had built with the reckless beta due to some ridiculous crush.

 

Theo crossed the room in three large steps, pausing in the doorway to turn and look at the beta, already drifting off to sleep.

 

“I’m sorry, Liam. I can’t stay.” Theo said it as softly as possible, hoping Liam was already asleep. With that said, Theo walked out of Liam’s room and threw himself onto his own bed, groaning into the pillow. Theo pulled out his phone, putting his earbuds into his ears with more force than necessary and turning on his music.

 

He has no idea how long he laid there, not really listening to music but unable to fall asleep all the same. When Theo raised his phone to check the time, the 3:49 seemed to be taunting him. He sighed, sitting up and pulling on running shoes, changing the clothes he had on before to loose-fitting sweats and grey tank bearing the AC/DC logo. He crept downstairs, careful not to wake anyone. He slipped out the front door, starting on the usual running circuit he and Liam made in the mornings. He turned his music up louder, trying to drown out all thoughts of the blue-eyed beta that kept surfacing. When the song Breakeven by the Script came on, a break in the usual Classic rock that made up Theo’s Pandora playlists, he had the urge to throw his phone. Theo had never considered himself an emotional person, hell, he hadn’t even considered himself as a person before returning from that place he was sent to. He had always seen himself as a tool, simply doing what was asked of him to survive. When he got back and found himself free of the Dread Doctors, it was like coming up for air after having spent too long underwater. Ever since he had returned, everything felt so different, so raw, so real. He often wished he could go back to the way he was, an emotionless machine programmed to manipulate and kill as efficiently as possible, but when he sees Liam those feelings change. He should be better than this, more in control, but something about Liam made those dark, suffocating thoughts more bearable. But he was also more vulnerable around the beta. He learned quickly in life to cut out that which made him vulnerable, that could be used against him; but the thought of leaving Liam made his chest ache and his wolf side howl. He knows it would be so much easier to go back to the old Theo, to break and not bother to fix, but he doesn’t even really remember how to be that side of him. At times, it felt like the two sides of his being were at war with one another. His mind and soul, if he has one, fighting each other for control. He’s trying so hard to be a decent person now, and the other side of himself, the one that he now has locked up, caged like an animal, never really felt like a person at all.

 

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice someone running beside him until he was forced to walk, even his enhanced body struggling for air. He yanked his earbuds out, fully ready for a fight when he noticed a heavily breathing Liam stopping beside him.

 

“Oh thank god you stopped, I thought I was gonna die. You really are inhuman Theo.” Theo flinched at his words, but if Liam noticed he didn’t comment. Once the two had caught their breath they began running again, Theo checking the time on his phone and stopping his music. They only had an hour and a half before school, Theo looking down in shock and checking again. There’s no damn way he just ran for two and a half hours without stopping. Liam cut into his thoughts, keeping his breathing even as he talked.

 

“I’ve been running with you for about 35 minutes and you didn’t even notice.” He reached over and tapped Theo’s temple. “What’s that brain of yours thinking about?” When Theo didn’t answer, simply opening and closing his mouth a few times, Liam stopped short, concealed horror taking over his slightly flushed face.

 

“If this is about what I said last night…” Liam trailed off, rubbing his arm and refusing to look up from the pavement. Theo walked to stand in front of him again, placing an unsure hand on Liam’s shoulder.

 

“Liam, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, you were half asleep. I’m sure you wouldn’t have said that if you were awake.” Theo tried to keep the defeated edge out of his voice, frowning when his words seemed to have the opposite of the wanted effect on the beta. Theo had a moment of panic, thinking that maybe Liam had heard the underlying sadness in his words. If Liam did, he didn’t show it, instead he nodded quicker than necessary, muttering out a “right, you’re right.” He moved around the chimera, taking off in a run towards his house. Theo sighed, running a hand over his face in confusion before following the beta.

 

During breakfast, after the two boys were showered and Liam dressed for school, the beta received a call from Scott, who asked if he knew Theo’s number. Liam simply put Scott on speaker, who received a less-than-friendly greeting from Theo. Liam took their dishes, walking them into the kitchen and washing them while Theo and Scott talked. When Liam walked back in it was to the sight of Theo rubbing his temples, the phone sitting dark on the counter and the room silent.

 

“Is something wrong?” Liam’s tone was concerned, but he couldn’t help the growl that slipped out after the question. Theo raised his head from his hands, nodding at the beta.

 

“Scott found out about a small group of amateur hunters in the next county over. He wants me to take care of it.” Theo let out a hollow laugh, laying his head back down on his arms. Liam studied Theo’s hunched form, exhaustion rolling off him in waves.

 

“T, did you get any sleep last night?” When Theo glanced up at him, his emotionless eyes told Liam what he needed to know. Theo only ever his behind the emotionless mask when he was hiding something.

 

“Tell him no. He’s not your alpha, he can’t order you around.” Theo let out another dry laugh, glancing over at Liam.

 

“Thanks for the reminder.” Liam looked down, waiting for Theo to continue. “Sorry, that was rude. He can run me out of town though, and I’ve grown rather fond of Beacon Hills.” Liam felt himself nodding at Theo’s apology, finding his eyes again, only to growl at the thought of Scott forcing Theo to leave. Theo simply shrugged, getting out of the chair and heading upstairs to pack a bag of clothes to take with him. When Theo walked down the stairs again, his eyes widened comically when he saw the time blinking on the stove. He swore, grabbing Liam’s wrist and dragging him outside. Liam almost dropped his toast, eating it as Theo shoved him into the car and jumped in his side.

 

“Damn it Liam you’re gonna be late for- Put your seatbelt on and stop getting crumbs in my clean truck!” Liam would have laughed were it not for how scarily protective Theo was over his truck, shoving the rest of his toast into his mouth and buckling his seatbelt quickly. Theo was driving well over the speed limit and the tires squealed as he pulled into the school, stopping in front of the entrance. Theo grabbed Liam’s shoulder as he turned to the door. Liam turned to face him, and Theo opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. He finally found words after what felt like forever for the chimera, but was actually just seconds.

 

“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” Liam beamed, positively beamed, at the older boy. Liam knew that was the closest thing to a goodbye he would get from the chimera. Theo hated goodbyes, but he refused to tell him the reasoning behind it. Liam’s smile faded, his face melting into concern as he spoke.

 

“I could go with you…” Theo shook his head, about to reply when Coach’s voice cut him off.

 

“Dunbar, get to class!” Liam smiled sheepishly at Theo before closing the door and heading to class. Theo sighed, starting the truck again and pulling back onto the main road. He hoped he would be here Sunday to pick Liam up from the game. Five days wasn’t too bad; he was sure the beta would be fine for that long.

 

As Liam walked to class, he convinced himself five days wasn’t too bad. Tuesday through Sunday would be over before he knew it, and Theo would be picking him up after the lacrosse game. He could not have been more wrong. Days one and two passed with Liam spending more time with Mason and Corey than he had lately, feeling kind of bad for being such a terrible friend to them. He was more readily angry though, nearly losing control in class when a teacher wouldn’t let up on his inability to focus today. Liam was sure it was the full moon due Sunday that was messing with his head, but by day three he had almost keyed another student’s car, yelled at a teacher, and broken at least 6 pencils. When Mason drove him to a burger joint on Friday, he was talking about some teacher that had yelled at Corey when he heard Liam muttering his calming mantra under his breath. It didn’t seem to be helping, Liam’s claws slipping out and a growl escaping his lips.

 

Mason turns on his blinker pulling over to the side of the road. Mason took a look at their surroundings, realizing where they were. It had been a mistake to pull over here, flashes of Brett and Lori’s lifeless bodies flashing into the forefront of his mind. The same thing must have been happening to Liam, because his claws were creating deep scratches in the dashboard in front of him. Mason looks around the car, beginning to freak out when he realized he had no idea how to calm Liam down. He saw the bracelet catch the light and grabbed Liam’s wrist. The werewolf growled at him, but when Mason held the bracelet in front of his face, Liam’s yellow eyes zeroed in on it. This time, he didn’t need to repeat the mantra, he simply took a deep breath, closing his eyes for almost a full moment. When he opened them again, they were the normal blue.

 

He looked over at Mason, who had an eyebrow arched at him.

 

“Intense. Now tell me what the hell just happened before I kick your werewolf ass out of my car.” Mason looked angry, but mostly confused.

 

“Theo once told me that we only feel one emotion at a time. So I thought about being calm.” Mason looked surprised but grinned wolfishly at Liam. Ironic, since he’s the wolf not Mason. Liam didn’t have time to laugh at his own joke though, since Mason started speaking again.

 

“So you just calmed yourself by looking at the bracelet _Theo_ gave you, and saying _Theo’s_ mantra.” Mason was looking at him with disbelief in his eyes. “I can’t believe _Theo Raeken_ is your anchor... Psycho killer, _totally_ evil Theo Raeken. Is your anchor.” Liam’s face turned red at this, his words coming out a jumbled mess.

 

“He’s not evil- and he’s not my anchor! He- he just helps me calm down is all! And yeah sometimes he doesn’t have to say anything… he can just kinda glare at me and my wolf backs down but there’s no way he’s my anchor!” Mason simply stared at him for a second before throwing his head back, laughing.

 

“Corey totally owes me twenty bucks, yes!” Liam looked at him in confusion as Mason starts the car, pulling back onto the road. Before he could ask anything, Liam was cut off by Corey appearing in the backseat.

 

“No fair babe, the issue wasn’t directly related to Theo!” Liam jumped, letting out a surprised yell, but Mason simply rolled his eyes, holding his hand out to the backseat expectantly. Corey dug around in his pocket before he handed him the money, letting out a sigh.

 

“Yes, but Liam was losing control because his _anchor_ isn’t here.” Mason put special emphasis on the word anchor, looking at Liam out of the corner of his eye. Liam avoided his pointed gaze, glaring at the passing trees like they personally offended him.

 

They finally reached the burger place, Nolan waving to them from the seat he was holding. Scott, Malia, Lydia, Stiles, and Derek were there as well, sitting in the booth right behind theirs. Liam really didn’t want to see his alpha right now, feeling a snarl tugging at his lips, but luckily Mason pulled him down into the booth and basically force-fed him a burger, making him miss Scott’s surprise at seeing Liam. The burger helped calm Liam’s anger at seeing his alpha. Theo may be Liam’s anchor, but Mason was his best friend. And he was more than capable of calming down the teenager with IED, or as he liked to call him, the “real Liam.” The words had stung at first, but Liam realized soon enough that Mason wasn’t implying anything bad about his wolf side, just referring to his human side as the “real Liam,” since that’s what he had always known.

 

The weekend passed without incident for Liam, but the same couldn’t be said for Theo. The amateur hunters turned out to be a trio of pros, who led Theo into a trap. It took him until Friday to find them, and by Saturday morning he realized it was a trap. When Theo awoke to find himself hanging upside down from the rafters of a log cabin, he considered his morning ruined. The pounding in his head reminded him of what happened last night. Running through the woods, chasing one of the “amateur hunters.” He was expecting to kill them and head home, not be suspended by his ankles in a foul smelling wooden cabin, far away from main roads. A woman’s face was seen in front of his, looking rather ridiculous from this angle.

 

“What a shame, we specially requested the beta wolf.” Theo growled at his, Scott had sounded off when he requested that Theo drive Liam up to run the hunters out of town, but had decided to go instead. Theo had the urge to roll his eyes at the woman, who continued talking. She was clearly pleased with herself.

 

“It really wasn’t that hard to convince the alpha that we were simply a trio of concerned werewolves, needing help taking down some amateur hunters. I was worried that tactic wouldn’t work on the great Scott McCall, since he seems to keep his betas under his wing. So you must be expendable. That’s good, since you won’t be leaving.” Theo grinned at her around the rag she was using as a gag for the chimera. He shook his head, receiving an annoyed look. She reached over, grabbing a knife off the table beside her.

 

“Now that your healing should have stopped working, we can have some fun.”

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Theo had stopped feeling the pain after a while, his walls going up.

 

“I wonder why you are here instead of the beta… Protecting him maybe? Doesn’t really matter, Michael is on his way to Beacon Hills as we speak. You’re precious little beta will be begging for his life soon enough.” She shrugged, turning around, having no idea how severe the mistake she just made truly was. The woman didn’t seem to notice when Theo’s body went completely still, stiffening up. She missed the way his claws came out with a soft click, easily slicing through the zip ties around his hands and wrists. He let out a growl, making her drop the tool she was using to cut into the chimera. She turned around and looked up in horror to see Theo towering above her, his eyes glowing a dark purple. Her mouth fell open, scrambling for her phone.

 

“Y-You-You’re th-the chimera f-from the stories.” Theo’s face twisted into a predatory grin as he crept forward, his measured, careful steps similar to how a predator would stalk its prey. He raised his razor sharp claws, slashing her throat with no remorse.

 

“No one is touching the beta wolf.” Theo’s voice wasn’t his own. It was deep and dangerously sharp, his demonic tone causing ice to travel down the spine of the man standing in the doorway. The man fired off three shots as Theo turned towards him, sneering as only one of them connected. His eyes were still glowing an unnatural purple as he ripped the man’s arm from his body, relishing in the scream of pain. This is what Theo had been raised to do, to maim and torture and kill. He would have drawn this out, had there not been a hunter on his way to Beacon Hills. He dug his claws into the man’s neck with precision, killing him quickly before heading to his truck. He started it, driving way over the speed limit to get home.

 

At some point during the drive his body became his again and he nearly swerved off the road. He hasn’t lost control like that since he left that hellish place he was in, but when she threatened Liam something inside him snapped. It felt like he blacked out for a bit, but when he awoke both his coyote and his wolf were singing, his hands covered in blood. He could feel what he did, could see it in his mind, but it felt like it wasn’t him that did it. He shook off the thought. Maybe the old Theo was a lot closer to the surface than he thought.

 

Theo began to feel nauseous once he got closer to Liam’s house. About 20 minutes left and Theo’s consciousness was slipping, only the bright headlights from other cars keeping him awake. When his truck stopped in Liam’s driveway, he could feel the poison from the wolfsbane coursing through his system. His coyote urged him to hide away from sight, in a den deep in the woods, and either heal or die, but his wolf was urging him to find Liam. Theo willed his feet to work as he climbed the steps to Liam’s house. He collapsed against the door, sliding down it and letting his eyes fall closed with a sigh, finally surrendering to the darkness at the edge of his vision. He was already unconscious when the door was yanked open seconds later, a worried Liam repeating his name in a broken voice as he took in the cuts and bullet wound on the older boy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg I'm so sorry, I said I would have this chapter up by Monday but it's now 4:30 a.m. and technically Tuesday. I kinda got carried away and made it over 10k words so I split it into two chapters. So you guys get chapter 6 today as well lol. Sorry about it being late, I'll make sure it's on time next time! Let me know what you guys think, and if you find any errors or plotholes let me know. The ending of this chapter was kinda a cliffhanger, opps... but we got to see just how bad the "chimera of death" thing can be... bye now! (For some reason it won't let me link in the tattoo so here is the link \\\hauda.niceville.local\UserDocuments$\attorney\My Documents\My Pictures\tattoo.jpg  
> Yes I know my editing is shit but my editing program is dead so I had to use paint.)
> 
> Edit: Ok not many people were getting the joke about Liam needing 110% Impulse control from Theo and Mason so I made it more clear lol


	6. Chapter 6

 

Theo was awoken from his dreamless sleep by a stinging in his jaw, causing him to let out a groan, his eyes flickering open. He began to panic, fearing his life had been a dream and he was back on the Dread Doctors’ operating table, until he looked up and saw Liam’s concerned face, the light shining around it to form what looked like a halo. He took a deep breath, his ribs aching. His fuzzy brain began to fully awaken as Theo’s senses were filled with Liam. Liam’s scent was everywhere in the room, all at once. This led Theo to realize that it was due to the face that: 1) He’s on Liam’s bed, in Liam’s room. And 2) Liam is leaning over him, concern darkening his features. It took a second for Liam’s jumbled words to take hold once Theo realized the beta was speaking.

 

“Oh thank god, Deaton said you were poisoned by some chimera killing wolfsbane but that you had to wake up to trigger your healing because all the cuts on you weren’t healing and that if you didn’t wake up then you would die and I don’t want you to die so I punched you and you still aren’t healin--” Theo sighed, ignoring the sharp pain in his side when he ran a hand over his face.

 

“Liam?” Liam leaned over Theo even further, his concern deepening.

 

“Yes Theo?”

 

“Shut the hell up.” Liam would have taken offense to his words, but Theo currently looked like he had been to hell and back. Liam guessed in a way he did, but torture was not a good look on Theo. Liam kept his mouth shut though, simply grabbing Theo’s wrist and taking his pain. He didn’t realize he was rubbing his thumb over Theo’s tattoo until he looked down, blushing when Theo stared at him as he took the older chimera’s pain. Liam finally couldn’t take the silence anymore, curiosity positively eating at him. There was no way in hell an amateur did this to Theo, the chimera would have ripped their throats out before they could touch him.

 

“What happened T?” Theo seemed reluctant to answer, taking a deep breath before motioning to the chair sitting across the room with his head. Liam grabbed the chair before sitting down, taking his place by Theo’s bedside again.

 

“It was a trap…” Liam growled at this, his mind instantly blaming Scott. “Calm down Li, they were pros. They tricked Scott into thinking they were werewolfs in need of help with amateurs. They asked Scott to send you, but when Scott called I decided to go myself.” Liam cut him off with another growl, this one directed with Theo. When the chimera glared at him, Liam deflated and grabbed his wrist, taking more of his pain as Theo continued his story, his broken rib protesting to his continued talking.

 

“They're sending a guy down here to hunt you and your pack. I don’t know why they want you in particular but…” Theo stopped himself from letting out a growl, his animal counterparts had done enough damage today.

 

“But what T?” Liam prompted him to continue, the sincere look in his eye causing Theo to release the words he had been holding back with a growl.

 

“But they aren’t fucking touching a hair on your head, or your packs’ heads, as long as I’m still breathing.” Theo said it with so much conviction that Liam stared at him in surprise. He had never heard Theo spit anything but insults with that much venom behind his words. He blushed, a surge of pain coming through his veins reminding him of just how injured Theo is.

 

“Thank you T, but you can’t protect shit if you are dying. You should sleep.” Theo nodded, surprising Liam once again. He had been expecting some sort of protest. Theo seemed to sense this, since he simply settled further into the comfortable mattress of Liam's bed. It became apparent Liam wasn’t leaving, having settled down in the chair. His head was resting awkwardly on his hand, which was propped up on the arm of the chair. Theo let out another sigh, scooting backwards and patting the spot in front of him. Liam looked at him in confusion, causing Theo to roll his eyes.

 

“You’re not sleeping in that uncomfortable chair in your own room Babywolf, now get up here before I change my mind.” Theo’s commanding voice left no room for argument, not that Liam was planning on arguing. He climbed into bed, his back to Theo, who was still lying on his back. Liam shifted around a few more times, unable to get comfy, even in his own bed. He heard a growl from Theo before the older boy was speaking.

 

“I’m going to rip your throat out, with my teeth, if you don’t stop moving around.” Liam sighed, shifting around some more before replying.

 

“No you won’t, you like me too much.” Liam hadn’t been expecting a reply, other than for Theo to go through with his promise. He definitely didn’t expect Theo to sigh, followed by an, “unfortunately, yes.” from the chimera. Liam blushed, thankful he had turned off the light before crawling into bed since it hid his face from the chimera.

 

After a few more minutes, most likely about 10 but Liam wasn’t totally sure, he turned over to face Theo. He had fully intended to ask him another question, but he stopped when he heard the almost inaudible breath coming from the chimera. He similed, his question dying on his tongue at the sight and sound of Theo sleeping peacefully for once. He began to drifting off to sleep listening to the sound of the older boy’s even, slightly wheezy breathing and the sounds of the peaceful night outside.

 

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Jenna was out shopping, having decided to let the boys sleep in after Theo had gotten hurt in a fight last night, when David let Scott and Malia into the house with a smile. Malia stayed downstairs, helping herself to the food in the kitchen as Scott went upstairs to convince Liam to go to school. Mason had called him and explained that Theo was hurt and Liam didn’t want to leave, but they had a test in history this afternoon that Liam couldn’t miss. When Scott walked in, he didn’t know what to expect, maybe an angry Liam demanding to stay home. What he didn’t expect was to find Liam sleeping, his head on Theo’s chest, an arm slung around his waist, and their legs tangled up in the covers. At the sight of Theo’s arm curled protectively around the beta’s shoulders in his sleep, Scott simply smiled, closing the door as softly as possible and walked downstairs.

 

Malia looked up in confusion, tilting her head to the side when Scott held his finger up to his lips and then pointed upstairs. Malia was still confused but shrugged, grabbing the sandwiches she had just made for lunch and walking outside. She handed one to Scott once they were climbing into Melissa’s car.

 

“Where’s Liam? Doesn’t he need to get to school, it’s almost 12.” Scott simply shook his head, sending a text to Mason that Liam could just make up the test.

 

“He was busy.” When Malia rolled her eyes, turning around to walk back inside and drag Liam with them, Scott stepped in front of her. He turned her towards the car and got in the driver’s side, starting the car.

 

“Why aren’t you making Liam come with us? You could force him, you’re the alpha.” She knew Scott wouldn’t do that, but she still shot him another confused look, to which he only replied with, “Theo changed.” Malia fell silent, a small smile tugging at her lips.

 

About 20ish minutes later, Theo woke up, his head still slightly fuzzy. He hadn’t had a single nightmare, not having slept this well in what felt like forever. He began to fall asleep again, a warm weight on his chest that he would examine in five minutes. He just needed to close his eyes again for a few minutes to get rid of his headache, he told himself.  

 

Liam woke up around 35 minutes after Scott left. His brain registered that his pillow was much firmer than he remembered… and much warmer. Liam blinked his eyes open slowly, met with the sight of the bottom of Theo’s neck and the top of his chest.  Liam’s sleepy brain seemed to be still waking up, since his first thought was that Theo’s non-permanent scars had healed. The next thing he noticed was that _he was laying on Theo’s bare chest_. Liam began to internally panic, but his wolf seemed content with the warmth from the body beside him. Liam was terrified Theo would wake up and hate him for having cuddled closer to him in his sleep, maybe yell at Liam or worse, not yell at all. He was imagining Theo looking at him with disgust and leaving Beacon Hills for good when the hand resting on his shoulders began drawing patterns into his skin with warm fingertips.

 

“It’s too early in the morning to be thinking so hard Babywolf. Can you save the thinking for later? My head hurts like a bitch.” Liam let out a quiet laugh, detangling himself from Theo and walking to the bathroom. When he came out, Theo was sitting up and poking at his ribs, only wincing once or twice. Liam leaned in the doorframe, speaking when Theo winced a third time before leaving his ribs alone and picking up a shirt from the floor.

 

“Are your ribs healing?” Theo nodded once his head was through the shirt, the already tight fabric leaving nothing to the imagination. It was one of Liam’s favorite shirts, but he rarely wore it since he was prone to ruining shirts. Liam looked over to the digital clock on his desk, letting out a quiet gasp.

 

“How is it already 1? Mrs. Rodes is gonna kill me if I miss her test again.” Theo laughed slightly, sitting down on Liam’s bed and pulling on his shoes.

 

“If you’re ready I can drive you.” Liam shook his head, grabbing the other shoe before Theo could pull it on.

 

“No way Theo, you were just nearly tortured to death, I’m not leaving and you _definitely_ are not diving.” Theo simply arched an eyebrow, snatching his shoe back from the beta.

 

7 minutes later and they were in Theo’s truck, Liam huffing in frustration but putting on his seatbelt as Theo backed out of the driveway. Liam received a stern lecture from Mrs. Rodes, but made it to school in time for his test. Theo went home, laying down on the couch to watch TV. He had just started another episode of forensic files, laughing at the easily avoidable mistakes the murders made when Jenna walked into the room. She paused when she caught sight of Theo, opening her mouth to speak and then closing it again. She finally seemed to find words, smiling slightly at Theo.

 

“Is that Liam’s shirt?” When Theo opened his mouth to reply, she cut him off. “You really shouldn’t have gotten into that fight Theo. I understand they started it, but I would expect something like that from Liam. You are usually so level-headed. Liam, David, and I were so worried when you collapsed on our front door all beat up.” Theo made sure to keep the surprise off of his face, a result of years of practice. He simply looked down at the floor beside the couch, mumbling out an apology. Jenna patted him gently on the shoulder before continuing to the kitchen to make more coffee. Once she was back in her home office, typing away, Theo resumed the episode. He lost interest when the killer made to many mistakes, pulling out his phone.

 

He opened Mason’s text, telling him that the beta had detention… again, and got his phone taken away for the rest of the day. Theo replied, asking Mason to let him know what time to pick him up after. He scrolled through the only other four numbers in his phone before setting his phone back on the table. Theo sighed in boredom, trying to find something to do for the 3 hours he had to kill. He checked the cabinets in the kitchen, making a list of things that he and Liam liked before knocking on the door to Jenna’s office. He let her know that he was making a grocery run, asking her if she wanted anything. When she declined, Theo added one or two things he knew she liked to the list before heading out to his truck.

 

Shopping was fairly uneventful, mostly just Theo wandering around and picking up random things once he had grabbed everything on the list. As he rounded the seventh isle, bread and cereal being the last things left on the list, he froze when he saw Scott looking at the various cereal brands. Theo grabbed what he needed, deciding that they could go a few days without cereal if it meant not getting strangled in the grocery store. Scott saw him as soon as Theo had dumped the correct type of bagel into his basket, walking over. Theo cursed Liam in his head for only eating sesame seed bagels when Scott stopped beside him.

 

“Hey Theo. I didn’t know you grocery shopped.” Theo arched an eyebrow at the awkward half-conversation.

 

“We all gotta eat. Liam just happens to be extremely picky with his bagels.” Scott laughed at that. It was a slightly awkward laugh, but a real laugh nonetheless.

 

“You’re telling me, he wouldn’t eat the eggs I made a while back because they had too much salt.” Theo smirked, nodding slightly.

 

“Every time I make eggs he says there’s too much pepper. So I have to make his without.” Scott looked surprised at that, but his face split into a grin.

 

“I can’t believe you specially make eggs for him. Malia just forces me to eat whatever it is that she made that morning.” Scott leaned closer, looking around like she would hear him if he spoke to loudly. “Most of the time I don’t know what it is, I just eat it.”

 

“Excuse you, I’m an amazing chef.” Scott either winced or jumped, Theo couldn’t tell which. Theo watched as Malia waved to Theo, grabbing her boyfriend by the ear and dragging him off to buy the rest of what they needed. Theo looked down at his phone, seeing two missed texts and a call from Liam. He cussed, grabbing random cereal and checking out as quickly as possible, throwing the stuff in the backseat but careful not to break the eggs. He sped towards Liam’s school, running a red light and thankful there wasn’t a cop. He had just spent his paycheck on groceries and couldn’t afford a ticket.

 

Liam let out a relived sigh as Theo’s blue truck pulled into the parking lot, said chimera waving to Liam out his window. Liam climbed into the truck, his mouth watering at the smell of the food in the car. He had missed breakfast and lunch, and detention had run over so it was now almost time for dinner.

 

“You’re late, are you ok? You’re never late.” Theo nodded as Liam put his seatbelt on.

 

“Yeah, I ran into Scott at the grocery store.” When Liam looked at him with concern, Theo glanced over before focusing on the road again. “Relax, we just talked about how much of a picky eater you are.”

 

“I’m sorry what, you just talked? No maiming or fighting? And I am _not_ a picky eater!” Theo shook his head then laughed, answering Liam’s question as he stopped the truck at a red light.

 

“No fighting. He seemed surprised to see me buying groceries, but he wasn’t angry. You should talk to him Liam. You really need to apologize to him.” Liam sighed. He knows Theo is right, he should talk to Scott, but he really doesn’t want to. He voiced this to Theo, who told him that sometimes we have to do stuff we don’t like for our own good. Liam sighed and reached into the back, pulling out one of the boxes of granola bars Theo bought and eating one.

 

When they got home they unloaded groceries, Theo telling Liam to call Scott or he would before he walked out of the room to watch TV. Liam called Scott after about three minutes of pacing. Scott told him it would be better to talk in person, and that he was on his way. About 15 minutes later and there was a knock on the door, Liam opening it to reveal Scott on the other side. He let him in, sitting down at the dining table. Scott sat down as well, waiting in silence for Liam to speak. He didn’t want to rush the beta, so he decided to let him speak first. Liam struggled to find the right words, so he decided to just do what he called Scott here for.

 

“I’m sorry Scott.” The alpha looked up in surprise, about to reply when Liam started talking again. “I know I overreacted, but why did you try to kill him?” Scott sighed, looking down at the table before meeting Liam’s eyes.

 

“Look Liam, I just want what’s best for you. I’m sorry I tried to kill Theo but I honestly thought he was hurting you. I’m not gonna lie, I still kind of hate him, but you seem to know him better than anyone.” Scott took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second before continuing. “Theo has done too much bad to be considered a good person, but he’s also done a lot of good to redeem himself, so he can’t be considered evil. Just be careful Liam. I know I’ve been an ass lately, but you’re my beta and I can’t help but feel the need to protect you.” Liam nodded, sighing before looking up at Scott.

 

“I understand, I blew everything way out of proportion and I know that. You’re just trying to help, I get that. But Theo’s changed! He really has. All he’s done is help since he got back…” Scott nodded and Liam laughed slightly before continuing. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a sarcastic asshole sometimes… but he’s a good person. You told me not to judge someone before you get to know them didn’t you?” Scott smiled, pulling Liam into a hug.

 

“Promise you’ll talk it out with me next time you don’t like something I do? Don’t push me away Liam, just tell me.” Scott released him with another smile, handing Liam a piece of paper with a bunch of names and phone numbers. **Pack numbers** was written at the top. Liam already knew most of them, but as he scanned the list he decided he would put the unknown ones in his phone later. A name and number printed at the bottom caught Liam’s eye as he was folding the paper up.

 

“Scott?” The alpha paused in the doorway leading out of the kitchen, turning around to look at his beta.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Theo’s name is on here.” Scott simply smiled, shrugging his shoulders and opened the door attached to the kitchen. He paused as he closed the door, meeting Liam’s eyes again.

 

“He’s changed.” Liam stood there in shock for a few seconds after Scott left before smiling and tucking the paper into the back pocket of his jeans.  

 

Theo hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, he couldn’t help that the combination of enhanced hearing and years of habit of listening to every single conversation made it difficult for people to have private conversations around him. Theo felt nauseous when Liam called him a good person. He rushed to the bathroom off of the living room, feeling like he was going to be sick. Liam could not have been farther from the truth, and he felt like he had tricked the beta into thinking he was a good person. Theo leaned over the sink, splashing water onto his face. When Liam called his name, something twisted in his gut. He called out, “in here” which seemed to satisfy Liam, since he heard the beta flipping channels. Theo took a deep breath before walking out, giving the beta a fake smile when he looked over at him with curiosity in his blue eyes. The older boy realized he didn’t dry his face, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He sat down at the end of the couch, Liam moving his legs to let him sit down, only to set them in the chimera’s lap. Theo looked over at the beta, whose eyes were glued to the TV, and felt a pang of guilt. Liam must have sensed this, since he looked over at Theo.

 

“Is something wrong Theo?” Theo shook his head, standing up. He brushed off the question by asking Liam if he wanted something to drink, already walking into the kitchen. Liam declined, returning his attention to the TV. He knew that if it was something Theo wanted to talk about, he would come to Liam on his own time. There was still a lot he didn’t know about the older boy, but he really didn’t mind too much. It was probably better he didn’t know. Liam heard Theo yell out that he was going for a drive, and Liam turned off the TV, going upstairs. He texted Mason, who agreed to come over and play video games with him. The two played until Mason convinced Liam to get some homework done. Theo came home about two hours later and took a shower before coming and sitting in the room with them. He read while Mason tried to explain Liam’s math homework to him.

 

Mason left after about 2 and a half hours, letting Liam know that he could text him if he needed more help. Theo and Liam came downstairs when Jenna called them. She asked them to help her clean up the kitchen, which they did. Liam grumbled about it for a little bit but he turned on music, dancing slightly as he swept. Theo washed dishes, his shirt pretty much soaked once he was done due to the amount of times he got distracted watching Liam dance. They went upstairs, the kitchen now cleaned. Once Theo had showered and changed into a pair of black sweatpants, he knocked on the door to Liam’s room. The beta opened the door, having changed into a loose-fitting t-shirt and shorts. Theo walked in and grabbed his phone charger from where he had left it, smiling at the beta as he walked by.

 

“Night Littlewolf.” Liam smiled, closing his door behind Theo after saying goodnight. Neither of them slept as well as they did the previous night. Liam’s bed felt far colder than he remembered and Theo was plagued with his usual nightmares.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the result of listening to Troye Sivan songs at 1 a.m. Enjoy. Sorry this chapter is pretty short, I'm super busy atm and don't have much time to write. :(
> 
> Please point out any errors you find! :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long to get out, I was super busy with finals and everything and had a little bit of writers block. I just wanted to put a warning before this chapter. 
> 
> Warning: this chapter contains Homophobic slurs, panic attacks, and mentions of past mental abuse. If any of these are a trigger to you or you generally don’t like them, feel free to skip to next chapter!

**WARNING: Homophobic Language, panic attacks, and mentions of past mental abuse in this chapter!!**

  
   
“But Mase what if he’s avoiding me on purpose!” Mason simply arched an eyebrow at his friend, turning slightly and grabbing a handful of popcorn from his boyfriend. Corey was sitting on the couch behind him with his headphones in, dutifully completing homework (and _definitely not_ ignoring his two friends’ back-and-forth conversation. Or hoarding the popcorn Jenna brought upstairs 30 minutes ago. Nope, not him.)  
   
“What did you do to piss him off this time?” Liam looked slightly offended at Mason’s question, then looks like he’s genuinely trying to remember an answer. It takes him a full minute and a half to formulate an answer.  
   
"Well, I accidentally threw away his toothbrush and ate his dinner on Monday, I forgot to return the jacket he gave me last week, I broke his desk chair on Tuesday, and I beat him in multiple games on Wednesday…" He was interrupted by Mason's, "Jesus Liam it's only Friday!" Liam simply shrugged and continued. "I lost one of his library books and he had to pay for it and on his way home I asked him to get me a snack at the store and he spilled coffee on himself. That was yesterday. I also may have slept with him." Mason's mouth fell open and Corey looked up from his math book. He spoke while Mason's mouth flopped open like a fish.  
   
“You what now?” Liam looked up at him and blushed deeply before flailing his arms around.  
   
“NO! Nononononono I didn’t mean _sleep_ with him, I meant literally sleeping with him. When he was hurt last week, he fell asleep in my room and wouldn’t let me sleep in the chair so I may have slept in the bed with him.” Liam’s words came out in a rush, his blush darkening as he spoke. Mason laughed so loud, it caused Liam and Corey to wince.  
   
“Enhanced hearing babe.” Mason shot Corey an apologetic look before turning back to Liam and punching him in the arm. Mason knew it didn’t do anything, but old habits die hard.  
   
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Liam began fiddling with a loose hanging string from his hoodie, feeling both Mason and Corey’s stares on him.  
   
“It wasn’t a big deal and we didn’t talk about it, then Theo had to leave with Scott and Stiles for whatever it is they drug him off to do, so I didn’t see a reason to talk about it.” Mason shot Corey a confused look before giving Liam a sympathetic one. He put a hand on Liam’s shoulder.  
   
“If he was the one who told you to… sleep with him, then he shouldn’t be mad about it. But you better tell us next time something happens between you two.” Liam nodded slightly, then his face melted into a smile when he saw the devious glint in Mason’s eyes. He turned back to the game when a loud explosion was heard through the screen.  
   
“Shit we lost… again.” Mason simply rolled his eyes in answer, glad for a change of subject for once.  
   
Eventually, Corey finished his homework and switched with Mason, who started on his homework while Corey and Liam played Halo. Mason had just taken Liam's place when Theo walked in the door, kicking off his shoes and sitting on the couch near Liam's feet. Liam waved slightly at him, accidentally throwing his pencil in the progress. The corner of Theo's mouth twitched as he got up, retrieving Liam's pencil. He handed it back to him as he sat down, Liam's feet coming to rest in his lap.

It had been about another 10 or so minutes, Theo wasn't really keeping track, when Liam tapped him on the arm with his foot. Theo looked up from his phone to glare slightly at him, but there was no real venom behind it. Liam grinned at him and did it again before Theo flicked his leg. He sat up, putting his feet on the ground and scooting over to Theo. He set his chemistry book in Theo's lap, chewing on his bottom lip for a second or two before swallowing his pride. It wasn't like the chimera hadn't helped him before, he had helped Liam with homework more times than he could count, but he had never asked for help in front of Mason and Corey.  
   
"Hey Theo?" When he received a humming noise in response, the chimer's attention returned to his phone despite the chemistry book in his lap, Liam continued speaking. "Can you help me with this problem? I wouldn't ask, but all the others are based off this one." Theo nodded, setting down his phone and picking up the book.  
   
“What number is it?” Liam pointed at number 8 before handing Theo the paper he was writing everything on. Liam watched Theo’s expression as he figured out the problem. The way Theo’s eyes lit up when he got the answer caused Liam to smile slightly. Theo began explaining, careful to keep the excitement out of his voice. Despite everything he had been through with the Dread Doctors, chemistry was still both his favorite and his strongest subject. Liam got lost about halfway through, so he backed up a few steps and explained it more slowly.  
   
Theo half smiled at the beta when he finally got it, nodding his head vigorously and smiling at Theo.  
   
"Thanks, I get it now!" Theo nodded, returning to his phone as Liam scooted back to his side of the couch and put his feet back into Theo's lap. The two of them missed the knowing look Mason and Corey shared, and if they had bothered paying attention they would have smelled the smug brand of happiness that Mason was giving off.  
   
Once Mason started yawning, Corey stood up and paused the game.  
   
“Thanks for having us Liam, I gotta get Mase home before I get sleepy, but I’ll see you tomorrow.” Liam looked up from the last two problems he was working on before nodding, smiling at Mason when he stood up as well.  
   
“Bye guys.” The couple waved to him and Theo. As Theo saw them leaving, he looked up from his phone.  
   
“Be safe.” Mason and Corey turned when Theo spoke, Mason’s eyes widening slightly but they both nodded, putting on their shoes and heading out the door to Mason’s car.  
   
“Holy shit did _Theo Raeken_ just say be careful?” Corey shushed him, getting into the car and driving off when Mason finally got in as well.  
   
“Why did you shush me?” Corey looked at him, arching an eyebrow and pointing at his ear before looking back at the road.  
   
“Because he can hear you.” Mason let out a little “oh” and then laughed slightly, turning on the radio.  
   
Liam had been listening to the two without really meaning to, but he didn’t exactly stop himself. He couldn’t help but laugh slightly when at Mason’s comment, earning a confused look from Theo.  
   
“Nothing, nothing… sorry.” Theo simply shrugged at the apology, he really didn’t mind Liam’s laugh.  
   
“How was your trip?” Theo let out a bitter laugh, causing Liam to look down at his homework and mess with the loose string on his hoodie again. Now Theo felt the need to apologize, but he continued answering his question.  
   
“It was so boring, Stiles complained the entire time and Scott was a concerned mess for the entirety of the trip. The hunters ended up being a couple of kids with their parents’ guns shooting cans in the woods. They just so happened to be so bad that they hit a werewolf instead. So I ditched them and came home early when they said they wanted to stay a few more days to make sure.” Liam nodded along, feeling the urge to roll his eyes when Theo finished.  
   
"Yeah, that sounds really boring." Theo nodded and Liam returned to homework, asking for help with the last problem.

Once they finished the problem and Liam understood it slightly better, his stomach growled quite loudly. Theo arched an eyebrow at him but got up anyway, Liam following him into the kitchen. Theo huffed out an annoyed breath when his search of the cabinets for dinner food came up with nothing but an expired can of ravioli and lots of snacks. He tossed the ravioli in the trash, muttering about how he just got his paycheck and was already going to have to blow it on the stupid beta. Liam grinned when he heard this, throwing an arm around the chimera’s shoulders and pulling him to the door.  
   
When they climbed into the truck, it started, but the gas meter read empty. Theo swore, forgetting that he needed gas on his way home but forgot to stop. They climbed out, forced to walk since neither of Liam’s parents were home.  
   
They walked for about 25 minutes before stopping in front of a diner on the edge of town. When they stepped inside, it was mostly empty except for a small gang of older guys clad in leather sitting at the back. Liam assumed they were the owners of the bikes out front, nearly running into the wall as he got lost in thought. He was saved from death-due-to-embarrassment by Theo’s large hand on his wrist, pulling him up to the counter and placing his order. Liam ordered as well and the two walked to table nearby, Liam fidgeting with the number they were given. Theo smiled brightly at the waitress who brought their food, earning them extra ketchup for free. Liam rolled his eyes when Theo’s fake smile disappeared as soon as she left, digging into his food.  
   
“I’m surprised she didn’t write her number on your arm or something, she seemed pretty captivated by them.” Theo smirked at him, swallowing his food before shrugging.  
   
“I’m glad she didn’t, ink is a bitch to wash off.” Liam arched an eyebrow, letting out a short laugh.  
   
“Not your type?” Liam blushed, unsure why he let the question slip. She was probably exactly Theo’s type. She was short, her curly black hair pulled back into a ponytail and freckles dusting her dark skin. Liam probably would have found her attractive if he wasn’t crushing on the boy sitting across from him.  
   
“Nah. I mean don’t get me wrong, she’s cute, but not really my type.” Theo snapped his mouth shut, almost telling the beta that he was interested in someone, but not her. He hoped the usually oblivious beta wouldn’t read between the lines or hear his heart skip when he called their waitress cute. Liam seemed content, sitting back in the booth and eating his food. Once the two finished, Theo having to wait a little bit for Liam, they cleaned up their table as best as they could and threw away their trash, heading out of the restaurant.  
   
Stopping for Liam to dig his phone out proved to be a bad idea. The biker gang, if the three guys could be called that, walked out shortly after them. They spoke loudly, gesturing wildly with their hands. As they walked by, one of their flailing arms hit Liam in the back of the head. Liam spun around, letting out a soft growl. Theo grabbed his wrist when he started to raise it to punch the guy, who immediately started talking.  
   
“Watch where you’re going faggot.” Liam froze, going stiff in Theo’s grip. Theo felt a spark light the fight he kept buried deep, deep down inside him since he got back. He had been like a stick of dynamite before, ready to go off at a seconds’ notice, but he pushed that down after he got back, trying to stay calm and think before he acted. But seeing this asshole speak to Liam like that made him want to break something or someone. He let go of Liam’s wrist. Liam had shrunk behind Theo slightly, not even enough for the three guys in front of them to notice, but Theo did. Theo slipped into a defensive position, arching an eyebrow at the guys in front of him.  
   
“I highly suggest you apologize to my friend.” The tallest of the three stepped forward, sneering at Theo. They were almost even in height, but the biker had a couple inches on him. Theo’s calculating eyes took in the three guys in front of him. The one currently closest to him and Liam was obviously unfit, his beer gut showing through his shirt, but he looked like he could still fight alright. The second closest was shorter but more fit, his hair cut into a poorly done Mohawk. The last of their group had slunk behind Mohawk dude and looked like he could be easily taken out. He was thin and had almost no muscle, buckteeth showing through sneering lips even as he backed down. Theo was drawn back to the present when a fist was flying at him, just grazing his jaw as he moved his head back. He heard Liam's bitter laugh behind him, his voice shaking slightly. Something seemed to have rattled him, but he still sassed the bikers.  
   
“That was a really, really bad idea. He’s not a good guy to piss off.” The one Theo had come to know as skinny dude stepped forward then.  
   
“Oh please, faggots can’t fight for shit.” The guy spit when he talked, causing Theo to roll his eyes, but burn with rage at his words. Liam was shaking slightly as his shoulder brushed Theo’s when he stepped forward slightly. Theo wasn’t sure why, and he didn’t smell fear in Liam’s scent. Scratch that, he did if he really focused, but it didn’t seem to be caused by the guys in front of them.  
   
“Big words coming from the skinny guy hiding behind his friends.” Theo smirked at the beta’s words, but his mirth was short-lived. Skinny dude reared his fist back, Theo not having time to react before it was connecting with Liam’s nose. So, he was fast, good to know. Liam’s nose began bleeding slightly and his next words came out as a growl, causing Skinny Dude and Ugliest Dude to flinch slightly.  
   
“That. Was a big. Fucking. Mistake.” Theo glanced over as Liam threw himself at Skinny Dude, getting in three solid punches before he was being pulled off and thrown to Theo’s feet. Theo let out a growl at this, helping Liam to stand before punching Mohawk in the jaw. He heard a satisfying crack before pain lit up his cheek. He spun around to find Skinny dude standing with a smug look on his face. This was cut short; however, when his fist caused at least three broken bones in the asshole’s face.  
   
Skinny dude crumpled to the ground and Mohawk was back on him, getting a few good hits in on his face before Theo shoved him off. Liam was dealing with Ugly Dude, who seemed to have gotten the best of him a couple times. Theo watched as Ugly punched Liam in the gut, throwing him against the wall before he could catch his breath. Theo let out a growl, starting to go over when Mohawk hit him in the ribs. He was on one knee, catching his breath as the asshole punched his nose again when Ugly started to choke Liam. Liam’s claws were out by now, but he couldn’t get a hand on the guy who was cutting off his air supply. When Theo heard Liam gasp out his name, he practically saw red. Theo hadn’t been this angry without losing control in a long time. He grabbed the guy’s Mohawk, digging his claws into his scalp as he slammed his head into the wall beside him.  
   
Liam saw Theo hunch over when the guy he was fighting got him in the ribs. Liam attempted to call out his name, choking over the word when he couldn’t get any more air into his lungs to speak. Liam’s vision went fuzzy… and then the pressure was being released. When his vision became clear again and he had air in his lungs, he saw Theo pinning the guy to the ground and delivering punch after punch to his ugly face. He stumbled over, trying and failing to pull Theo off the bloodied man under him. Theo turned his head to growl at Liam, his eyes glowing. Liam took a step back in shock. Maybe his brain still didn’t have enough oxygen, or maybe the lighting was bad, but he would have sworn that Theo’s eyes were orange. Not yellow like usual… _orange_. He didn’t have time to think it over for long though, because the wail of sirens could be heard in the distance.  
   
“Theo c’mon, we gotta go. The police are coming.” Theo only looked up when he too heard the police sirens in the distance. He let out another growl before climbing off the man. Both Theo and the guy he beat half to death looked terrible. Theo was bruised and had cuts all over, his broad shoulders heaving with rapid breaths as he looked around. His eyes were still glowing, and Liam found himself both wanting to look and feeling like he couldn’t. Liam looked around as well, noticing Skinny guy sitting up against the wall. Theo went to take a step closer, growling again, when the man began speaking.  
   
“Fucking faggots, shoulda shot ya.” Theo growled again, starting to advance when the sirens got louder. Theo turned to find Liam frozen, his eyes wide. Theo sighed, tucking his rage back down as he grabbed Liam’s hand and ran, practically dragging the beta behind him. The two stopped at a convenience store, dashing into the bathroom and locking the door behind them. The store was mostly empty, so they could only hope no one saw them go in.  
   
As Theo grabbed a wad of paper towels, wetting them and crouching in front of Liam, who had sagged against the tiles and slid down to the disgusting floor. Liam’s breaths came out short and pained, and he blinked as if he couldn’t place his surroundings. Theo began to clean off Liam’s cuts as gently as possible. Liam’s breath was still scratchy, angry red marks covering his neck but healing very, very slowly. Theo grabbed his wrist, taking the pain Liam felt before starting to clean his own cuts. Liam’s breath picked up, clearly still lost in his own mind.  
   
When Liam began to hyperventilate, Theo knelt in front of him, calling his name.  
   
"Liam? Liam, can you hear me?" The panic in Theo's voice brought Liam out of his memory, but he couldn't breathe, the walls of the bathroom closing in on him. He began shaking, his breath shortening further when he failed to catch it. It felt like a wave was crashing over him and that he was being buried alive at the same time.  
   
“C-Can’t bre-breathe. I-I Can’t bre-athe T-” Theo’s concern deepened at Liam’s inability to form coherent sentences and the way the words he was able to form came out broken and choppy.  
   
“It’s ok, I’ve got you. You’re safe Liam. Breathe with me ok?” Liam nodded, trying to follow Theo’s instructions, taking shallow breaths when Theo said to do so. It seemed to be working until his eyes started watering and then he couldn’t see Theo, and that terrified him. He didn’t want Theo to leave him.  
   
“Th-Theo? Theo where are you? Theo?!” His hands grasped the air wildly, finally coming to rest on Theo’s chest. The steady _thump, thump, thump_ of Theo’s heart calmed him, even if it was slightly faster than usual. It grounded him, and Liam took a deep breath.  
   
“I’m here Littlewolf, I'm here. Just Focus on me ok?" His vision began to clear as Theo swiped his thumbs over Liam's eyes. Liam's breathing came easier, his hands clenched tight in Theo's ripped t-shirt. Theo's concerned tone was like a beacon in a storm, guiding him. When Liam's vision is clear again, Theo looks as worried as his tone betrayed, his eyes glued to Liam as Theo controlled his own breathing.  
   
“Was tr-trying… to t-tell you I cou-couldn’t breathe.” Liam’s voice breaks as he tries to talk, and Theo’s hand is cradling his face. His hands are cool and Liam leans into the touch, taking deep breaths.  
   
“That’s it Li, just breathe for a minute. Don’t try to talk.” Theo’s tone is gentle but leaves no room for argument, so Liam focuses on breathing, the fog in his mind beginning to fade away. He doesn’t realize the older boy is moving until the warmth of Theo’s chest is gone from under his fingers. He forgets Theo told him to breathe, his mind slipping back into the fog. Then there are strong arms wrapping around Liam, one going behind his back and one behind his knees. He’s being lifted, and Theo’s voice cuts through the haze in his mind.  
   
“Don’t forget to breathe Babywolf, you’ll feel better in a minute.” Liam nodded, taking deep breaths. Before long, cool air is hitting his arms, the smell of trees and grass and night air and Theo filling his lungs. The chimera is still walking, Liam taking in gulps of air from where his head is tucked against Theo’s broad shoulder, his hair brushing the chimera’s neck. The movement stops and Liam is being set down gently, his back brushing something rough that he can only assume is bark. Theo sits beside him, helping Liam breathe until the beta feels much better.

  
“I’m sorry Theo, I- I don’t know what happened.” Theo looked at him, his eyes showing so much concern that Liam was shocked.  
   
“I can tell you’re lying, but if you don’t want to talk about it I understand.” The last thing Theo wanted was to send Liam into another of what he assumed was a panic attack. They had been in many fights, so Theo isn’t sure what triggered it, but he’s content to sit with Liam until the beta is alright again. Liam doesn’t say anything for a while, so Theo assumes he doesn’t want to talk about it. He looks up at the stars, monitoring to Liam’s breathing. When he hears Liam’s heart rate pick up, he looks over in concern only to find Liam opening and closing his mouth a few times. He seems to be struggling to find words, but he eventually does.  
   
“What… what those guys said. It hit close to home.” Theo looked at him with confusion but didn’t speak, instead grabbing Liam’s wrist and squeezing lightly when he seemed to be struggling to continue. “My dad, my real dad, found out I was bi a couple years ago. He was still living in Beacon Hills at the time, but he and my mom were already divorced, so he only got to see me on weekends. One weekend when I came to his house, he seemed angrier than usual.” Liam paused, closing his eyes before continuing. Theo gave his wrist a slight squeeze, encouraging him once again. He was shocked that Liam came out to him, seemingly without realizing, but he’d be damned to wherever people like him go before interrupting the other boy.  
   
“We were eating dinner and he was explaining the divorce to me, which I already knew about, but then he said something about how he disagreed with mom on a lot of things, like how it was ok for people to be gay. By the time I realized he knew, he had arranged to have more of the week with me.” Liam struggled to speak around the knot in his throat, and his eyes felt like they were burning as he talked about memories. Theo heard Liam’s breathing pick up again, and the beta’s eyes fell shut. The chimera smelled blood and realized Liam’s claws were out, digging into his own thighs.  
   
“Hey. Hey, it’s ok, you don’t have to talk about it.” Theo knew this must be painful for Liam, hell, he was the king of repressed feelings. Liam shook his head, gritting his teeth and taking a shaky breath before continuing.  
   
“He… He never hit me, so my mom and I couldn’t prove he was doing anything, but he fucked with my head. He would trigger my IED, take me to the hospital so they would keep me overnight, go home with my drugs, and repeat it the next week. When he moved out of Beacon Hills, they were g-gonna let him take me, but David co-confronted him. The court le-let me live with m-my mom…” Liam was struggling to continue, his eyes beginning to water again. He struggled to breathe around the lump in his throat.  
   
“I’m so sorry Liam…” Theo didn’t know how to comfort Liam, and the beta’s claws were digging into his thighs, drawing blood. Theo moved in front of the younger boy and grabbed Liam’s hand, pulling his claws out of the beta’s thighs, earning a hiss of pain. Theo felt bad for that, but Liam was struggling to breathe again so he pressed Liam’s hand to his chest. He felt the sting of Liam’s claws breaking skin, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care at the moment.  
   
“Please breathe Li, breathe.” Liam can feel the steady beat of Theo’s heart once again and he tries to mimic the older boy’s even breathing.  
   
“Good, that’s it. Just keep breathing.” Liam’s claws were digging harder into Theo’s chest as he began to re-emerge from the haze of panic that wrapped itself around his mind once more. He found himself pitching forward, gasping in a deep breath as he returned to himself for the second time that night. His claws retracted, and he smelled Theo’s blood.  
   
“Oh God Theo. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Theo shushed him and simply shrugged, the wounds already healing. Liam had finally calmed down when Theo’s phone rang, making them both jump. Theo winced when David’s name flashed across the screen. He looked down at Liam who was slouched against the tree, about to decline the call when Liam grabbed the phone from him and answered.  
   
David’s voice was muffled, but if Theo used his enhanced senses, he could hear most of what he was saying. He could definitely hear Liam’s side of the conversation, if not a little bit too loudly since he was using his far better hearing. After explaining what happened, leaving out the part about the fight, David agreed to pick the boys up.  
   
30 minutes later and they were back home. Theo thanked David and Jenna more times than they found necessary for coming and getting them, and apologized at least a dozen times before Jenna and David simply walked out of the room, muttering a goodnight to the boys. Liam looked at the clock on the wall, the 1:58 seeming to taunt him. He felt too tired to walk upstairs, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to make Theo carry him after everything he did for him, so he laid down on the couch. Theo walked over a few minutes later with a glass of water, passing it to Liam who drank half of it way quicker than he should have. Once he finished the water, Theo sitting in the chair beside where Liam was covering the whole couch, the chimera started speaking.  
   
“C’mon, time for bed Littlewolf." Liam simply grunted in response, feeling too tired to even bother opening his eyes. Theo sighed, reaching down and attempting to scoop up the beta. His side protested greatly, and he found Liam looking at him with concern at his quick intake of breath. Liam timidly reached out and settled his hand on Theo's side, taking his pain.

Theo gasped, his eyes glowing for a second. His wolf was growling at the fact that he was –yet again- causing Liam pain, however, his coyote was satisfied at no longer hurting. He pushed Liam’s hand off, scowling slightly at him. Liam let his hand hang limp off the sofa, thinking he made Theo angry by touching him without bothering to give any sign of a warning. Theo may be much less of an asshole now, but he still didn’t like being touched out of the blue. Liam wasn’t sure why, but he knew better than to put a strain on their friendship by asking.  
   
The beta let out a muffled gasp when he was being pulled up, Theo’s hand locked onto Liam’s wrist. Liam didn’t have the energy to try to fight with him as Theo dragged him upstairs and eventually pushed him down on his bed. He knew the chimera must be exhausted as well, but he made no protest when Theo bent down and untied his converse, pulling them off his feet and pulling the covers up over Liam’s shoulders. Theo turned to leave, pulling open the door and turning off the light to Liam’s room when he heard the beta’s quiet voice.  
   
“Thanks Theo…” Theo nodded slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching as he suppressed a smile. “For everything.”  
   
“Don’t mention it Littlewolf.” Theo was gone after he uttered those words, barely having the energy to pull off his shoes, jeans, and shirt before he was collapsing into bed. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this chapter was super angsty and I still suck at writing fights. Oh well, we got Liam coming out to Theo in this chapter so that was fun! Sorry about some of the darker stuff in this chapter but I kinda felt the need to explain Liam’s relationship with his father. 
> 
> Lemme know what you guys think and leave suggestion on how I can improve or let me know if you find any errors!


	8. Chapter 8

Jenna let the boys sleep in and didn’t bother to ask why they were outside a dingy gas station at midnight. David wanted to ask, but Jenna not-so-gently guided her husband away from the stairs and sat him down on the couch, starting a movie at a low volume. Theo came downstairs about 30 minutes later, chugging an entire cup of coffee. Jenna winced at the thought of drinking cold coffee but didn’t comment on Theo’s behavior. David began speaking, ignoring the pointed stare that clearly said, “don’t you dare” from his wife.

 

“So Theo, how was dinner last night?” Theo froze, but Jenna had to admit he covered it up pretty damn well.

 

“It was good, we went to a diner outside of town and then stopped at the gas station for snacks, but Liam’s feet got tired, so we stopped for a bit.” Theo didn’t seem to realize that he was speaking quicker than usual, his index finger a constant _tap… tap… tap…_ on the countertop while he talked.

 

“Right. And your clothes are ripped wh-” Jenna cut him off by standing up, pulling her husband along with her.

 

“We are going to go shopping, lock up after us and please wake Liam up in a little bit. Bye Theo!” David mumbled something about how he doesn’t make enough money for all these shopping trips, but diligently followed his wife outside. Theo let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, walking over to the kitchen door and locking it behind them. He walked back to the counter, taking a long sip of his water. He was usually a perfect liar, but he felt terrible for lying to the Geyers. His thought process was cut off when he heard Liam’s voice and looked up to find him standing at the bottom of the stairs.

 

Theo choked slightly on his water, nearly spitting it all over the counter. Liam gave him a confused look before sitting down at the table, pointing at the sandwich Theo was in the progress of making.

 

“Theo? I asked if you could make me one.” Theo nodded quickly, spinning around and walking to the fridge. The image of Liam standing at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes while wearing _Theo’s_ shirt was now permanently etched behind his eyelids. Theo finished making the two sandwiches, forcing himself not to look in Liam’s direction as he set a plate down in front of the beta, sitting on the other side of the table to the scent of him on Liam stopped assaulting his nose. Theo’s inner voice chimed in unhelpfully with, ‘you would think I would be used to it by now. After all, we live in the same house.’ Theo almost growled at himself, instead taking a large bite out of the sandwich he made.

 

Liam glanced over at the clock behind him, freezing when his own smell hit his nose. Normally he wouldn’t care, but when the scent of fresh rain, citrus, and somehow, something that smelled how a dark forest looks dominated everything he could smell in the moment he froze. Liam wasn’t sure why he smelled like something so distinctly Theo, he wasn’t sitting next to him and he wasn’t wearing the same clothes as last night. This caused Liam to look down at himself, having the urge to bang his head on the table when he realized what shirt he grabbed. The t-shirt was loose on him, not overly big but just long enough to go down to about mid-thigh. The AC/DC logo was familiar, he had seen Theo wearing the shirt a few times. His mom must have mistaken it for his and put it in his room.

 

Theo looked up when Liam froze half turned to look behind him. He regretted it almost instantly, his were-creature side settling a flare of possessiveness in his gut. He no longer felt hungry, pushing the rest of his sandwich to Liam and standing up from the table. He was hoping Liam couldn’t smell the possessiveness rolling off him in waves, but luck seemed to hate him recently.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t realize this was yours when I put it on, you can have it back I just need to change first.” Theo simply nodded, sitting back down at the table. He was relieved Liam seemed to think it was the shirt he was possessive over. It was one of his favorites, but he really didn’t mind that Liam was the one who was wearing it instead of him. Liam coughed, taking another bite of his food. A cough brought Theo’s mind back to last night, the memory of the fight causing him to feel the need to growl. He repressed this urge when his thoughts turned to what Liam said afterward.

 

“Hey, Liam?” When all he received was a grunt in response, the beta now having started on the remnants of Theo’s sandwich, he continued talking. “Why did you freeze… well, you told me why you froze, but why did your dad care.” Theo was hesitant to ask, but the question had been eating him up inside since last night, and Theo had never been good at being subtle. Liam froze for what seemed like the hundredth time today, but then took a deep breath and answered the question.

 

“I um, I came out as bi a few weeks before he left. But I didn’t tell him, just my mom and a couple of friends.” Theo looked shocked, not even bothering to hide it, and Liam dreaded saying anything. “If that uh, if that makes things weir-” He wasn’t even able to finish the sentence before Theo was interjecting.

 

“No! No uh, it doesn’t. That’s good that you um came out.” Theo’s words seemed to get higher pitched, almost like he was asking a question at the end. Liam let out a slightly bitter, short laugh.

 

“My dad seemed to disagree.” Theo seemed to go from what Liam considered to be surprise to completely serious in milliseconds.

 

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to Liam, I won’t force you…” Liam let out a relieved breath, slouching back in his chair slightly. Liam suddenly had a fairly amusing thought. If two months ago someone had told Liam he would be sitting at the dining table with Theo Raeken at 11:30 a.m. talking about sexuality after said chimera made breakfast Liam probably would have broken their nose. When Theo shot him a confused look, Liam voiced this thought. Theo snorted, causing Liam to laugh once again.

 

“I can’t believe the big bad chimera just _snorted_. I’m definitely telling Mason and Corey.” Theo shot him an unimpressed look, arching an eyebrow at Liam before standing up and putting both of their plates in the dishwasher. Liam stood up as well, turning for the stairs as soon as Theo closed the dishwasher.

 

“The last one up the stairs is a rotten wolf.” Theo rolled his eyes, telling Liam what a child he was. Liam opened his mouth to retort when Theo took off, the two of them jostling each other to get up the stairs. Liam won in the end, grinning and pointing at Theo like he just lost an expensive bet.

 

“Ha, I’m faster than you!” Theo rolled his eyes, laughing slightly.

 

“No, I just didn’t elbow you in the ribs.”

 

“That’s something a loser would say.” Theo simply shook his head, Liam’s smile seemed to be infectious because the older boy’s face split into a grin as he walked off to change.

 

25ish minutes later and the two of them were back downstairs, Theo putting a movie on while Liam opened the door for Mason and Corey. Theo could hear Liam speaking to the others, but he didn’t bother to listen until Corey’s voice cut Liam off.

 

“Isn’t that Theo’s shirt?” Liam didn’t come up with a reply, simply staring at him for a minute before Mason started speaking.

 

“Speaking of Theo, is he still here?”

 

“Present.” Mason jumped as Theo appeared seemingly out of thin air behind Liam. Ok maybe he was overreacting and happened to be looking at his phone when Theo came in, but it was definitely because of his freaky evil-chimera powers. Mason rejoined the conversation when Corey snatched his phone out of his hands, passing it to Theo.

 

“Liam’s mom said she couldn’t reach either of you, so she told Mason to tell you that Liam needs to take out the garbage before she gets home. And Mason didn’t tell you, so now I am.” As Corey spoke, Theo scanned the text.

 

“Awesome, nothing for me to do.” Liam rolled his eyes, muttering out, “asshole” under his breath as he went to do as instructed. The other three went into the living room, starting the movie without Liam. Once Liam came back into the room, they started bickering about restarting it for him. It was only half-hearted bickering though, with Mason and Liam voting that they restart it and Corey and Theo both saying no. Eventually though, Liam used his puppy-wolf eyes, as Mason called them, to win over Theo.

 

The oldest boy in the group huffed, grabbing the remote and rewinding the movie like it was a chore, shooting a glare at Liam before throwing the remote at his head. Really Liam asked for it since he was sitting in front of him and managed to annoy Theo enough to gain a reaction. Liam rubbed the top of his head, turning around to glare at Theo before the movie produced a loud explosion, causing Liam to turn his attention back to it.

 

“Sorry about that Babywolf, want me to kiss it and make it better?” Liam rolled his eyes and Corey snickered quietly before Mason shushed them for “ruining the movie with their terrible flirting.” This made Liam blush, turning back to face the TV again.

 

When David and Jenna returned after a while, the movie was still going. Liam had leaned back against the couch, resting between Theo’s legs while Corey and Mason not so subtly cuddled on the other end of the couch. Jenna put away the things she bought during her impromptu shopping trip while David took a seat on the floor next to the coffee table. Jenna sat in the open chair, waving at everyone when she walked in front of the screen.

 

Theo looked the darkened around as another explosion sounded from the screen, smiling slightly to himself. A feeling that felt suspiciously like it came from his coyote side was nagging at the back of his brain, a feeling that he hadn’t felt in… well in forever. The warm feeling of belonging settled over Theo as he smiled once again, his attention being drawn downwards where Liam was messing with one of Theo’s shoelaces. The feeling was back again, this time Theo could feel his wolf join in as well. As he shook Liam off his foot, grinning when the beta glared up at him before resuming on the other side, a voice at the back of his skull resounded through his brain, repeating a single word over and over, _home_.

****************************************

 

Theo didn’t realize he had fallen asleep until the next morning when Mason and Corey could be heard in the kitchen, laughing quietly about something. The smell of food cooking alerted him to the presence of Jenna and David in the kitchen, Jenna saying something softly to her husband. The only voice that couldn’t be heard was Liam’s, but when a soft snore was heard Theo registered unruly hair resting against his leg. Theo’s leg was asleep, and his neck was sore from sleeping at such an awkward angle, but he didn’t want to wake Liam. Rather than move, he settled back into the couch cushions and pulled out his phone.

 

He didn’t have to wait long, however, since not even 10 minutes later Liam stopped snoring, shuffling around some before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He mumbled good morning to Theo before getting up and heading for the bathroom. Theo stood up, walking into the kitchen and pouring himself a cup of -thankfully warm- coffee. Everyone traded good mornings, Jenna turning back to continue her conversation with Mason while Corey helped Dr. Geyer make pancakes.

 

Liam walked into the room, yawning before he evidently smelt the pancakes. He perked up, but only slightly, and collapsed into the seat next to Theo. Mason and Corey walked over, Corey having been shoed from the kitchen after he burnt some of the pancakes. Jenna and David could still be heard talking, but the four teenagers launched into a conversation about school, Theo interjecting occasionally with snarky comments about Liam’s grades.

 

“Oh c’mon Theo, my chemistry grades aren’t that bad! Besides if they were, it’s your fault.” Theo simply rolled his eyes, but Mason’s looked like they were going to fall out of his skull.

 

“You help him with chemistry?!” Theo winced at how loud Mason said that but was saved -or not really- from answering when Mrs. Geyer walked into the room. As she set down the pancakes she was carrying, she ruffled Liam’s hair and smiled brightly at Mason.

 

“Oh yes, Theo has been helping Liam with chemistry, and his grades have gotten so much better!” Liam grumbled as he stabbed his pancakes, but as soon as he took a bite he was quiet. Mason grinned like he had just earned blackmail against Liam and Theo for the rest of his life, but didn’t comment on it other than to smile at Jenna before taking a piece of Corey’s toast. Corey retaliated by taking exactly a fourth of Mason’s pancake, only for it to be replaced when Dr. Geyer walked in with another plate stacked with a ridiculous number of pancakes. Theo stayed silent, eating his pancakes and listening to the coversations until Liam reached for his plate.

 

Theo sent him a half-hearted murderous glare and pulled his plate away from the beta’s wandering hands. Liam simply frowned at him but waited until David started talking to Theo to grab a piece of bacon from his plate. Theo snatched it back right before Liam put it in his mouth, grinning smugly at him. Corey watched the interaction, bending over to whisper something in Mason’s ear while the two were shoving each other and stealing food from each other. Mason looked at his boyfriend with wide eyes before looking at the Liam and Theo sitting across from them. Mason saw Jenna watching him out of the corner of his eye and glanced over, only for her to raise an eyebrow in a, “see what I have to deal with” gesture. Mason laughed quietly before reaching across the table and snatching away the piece of Liam’s bacon they were fighting over. The two looked at him, Theo’s eyes narrowing and Liam shooting him a look of betrayal as Mason split it in half and gave half to Corey. Their eyes followed the movement like a hawk, freakishly in sync.

 

“See boys, that’s how you share.” Mason and Corey looked over at Dr. Geyer and grinned. The four currently not arguing over the last pancake started laughing, drawing Liam’s attention. While he was distracted, Theo snatched the pancake and put it on his plate. Liam pouted, starting to eat his own pancakes and excepting defeat. Theo ended up not eating the whole thing, placing it on Liam’s plate. Theo and Jenna began talking about cars and maintenance while Dr. Geyer, Mason, Corey, and Liam cleaned up breakfast.

 

“So boys, what do you say we go into town and see a movie?” Once everyone agreed with Jenna’s suggestion, they began talking about driving arrangements. Mason’s car was low on gas, so it was decided that the four teenagers would ride take Theo’s truck and follow Jenna and David. Everyone got changed and met outside 30 minutes later, the four teens pilling into Theo’s truck. Liam called shotgun, of course, not the Mason or Corey complained about it.

 

Once they got to the theatre, Theo tried to pay for the four of them, but David refused and paid himself. Theo huffed but didn’t put up any more of a fight. After they decided on a movie, Theo convinced them to at least let him pay for snacks.

 

Two and a half hours later saw Theo was dropping Mason and Corey off at Liam’s house to retrieve Mason’s care before following him to Mason’s house.  Mason offered to let him stay, but Theo declined, explaining that if he stayed any longer he would be late for work. Mason nodded and the three of them turned to walk inside. Liam had just waved bye to Theo when he was running back out to the truck before Theo could pull off.

 

“Sorry, I forgot to tell you that mom asked if you could pick me up on your way home.” Theo nodded, sighing but agreeing anyway.

 

“Yeah, no problem. Just text me any time after 7:00.” Liam nodded, closing the door and waving goodbye as Theo backed out of the driveway. Once he walked inside, Corey grinned at him from the couch.

 

“Did you have to weep on the floor of his truck and beg him to stay?” Liam rolled his eyes, muttering a shut up before sitting on the couch next to Mason.

 

“You should have told him that you can still fix things and that it’s you not him. That always works.” Liam rolled his eyes so hard he was convinced they would roll out of his head before sticking his middle finger at the two of them.

 

“Shut up and let me kick your asses in Mario Kart.”

“Whatever you say, Liam.” Corey grinned, starting a game as soon as Liam had a controller hooked up.

 

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Theo’s phone dinged as he walked out to his truck, waving over his shoulder at the woman who owned the restaurant. Liam had sent him a food-related text, and he shook his head as he climbed into the truck. Of course, in true Liam fashion, rather than text Theo to come get him, he sent:

**“Bring food. We r hungry”**

 

Theo didn’t bother to reply, simply pulling into McDonald's and ordering enough food for Liam to share with Mason and Corey. 20 minutes later he was knocking on Mason’s door, and within seconds it was being yanked open by Liam.

 

“You took forever.” Liam tried to snatch the bag of food from Theo as he motioned him inside, but when the chimera simply arched an eyebrow at him, he moved out of the way. Mason and Corey waved at him, and Theo passed the bag to Corey. Liam glared at him but accepted the burger Corey handed him, scooting over to make room for Theo on the floor.

 

After they ate, Mason sat up suddenly from where he was leaning against Corey and paused the game the two of them were playing.

 

“We should go to Sinema!” Theo sighed at Mason’s outburst.

 

“Last time I was at Sinema, there was a fight with the Dread Doctors.” Liam looked over at Theo, then back at Mason.

 

“Valid point, but the Dread Doctors are dead right? Maybe we should go back.” Mason fist bumped with Liam before standing up, walking towards the door and grabbing his keys. Corey and Theo shared a look before following the other two out the door. Liam was in Theo’s truck as soon as it was unlocked, Mason and Corey piling into Mason’s car. Theo started the truck and followed Mason.

 

After about 3 minutes, Theo broke the comfortable silence in the car.

 

“Are you sure that this is a good idea, Liam?” Liam shot him a confused look, his head tilting slightly to the side.

 

“What do you mean? I don’t think another fight is gonna happen.” Theo sighed, shaking his head slightly.

 

“No I just mean that this is the last place Hayden worked, and I don’t want you to get worked up and wolf out. The full moon was just last week.” Liam shook his head in response, letting out a short laugh.

 

“No need to worry Theo, I can control myself. Besides, I think I've moved on.” Liam was careful to avoid Theo’s gaze as he said that, choosing instead to reach over and turning the radio up. Theo had plugged his phone in to charge when they got into the car, so the radio wasn’t playing at all, Theo’s music was. The end of some guitar solo was heard right before the song changed. A loud yell was heard followed by guitar and drums. Liam grabbed Theo’s phone, pausing the song before it got any further.

 

“Theo, what the hell was that?” The chimera came to a stop at a red-light, snatching his phone away from the beta.

 

“That _Liam_ , was Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne, one of the best songs ever made. Now shut up and listen.” Theo resumed the music after glaring at Liam out of the corner of his eye. About halfway through the song, Liam couldn’t contain his laughter any longer. He had to admit, it was a pretty good song and he wasn’t all the surprised that Theo listened to classic rock, or rock n’ roll or whatever it was called, it fit his bad-boy personality. But Liam would never miss out on an opportunity to annoy or at the very least tease the older boy.

 

“Oh my god Theo, you are such a dad.” Liam blushed slightly when his words registered, but Theo didn’t seem to notice.

 

“Classic rock is a cornerstone of music…” He launched into a lecture about Classic rock as AC/DC played in the background. Liam didn’t pay attention to what he was saying, instead choosing to watch the way Theo’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as he talked. Immigrant song by Led Zeppelin began playing and Liam let out a gasp. Theo looked over in concern, his eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at the beta, looking for injuries and then scanning the road for any threat. When he couldn’t find one he turned his head to look at Liam again.

 

“What’s wrong Liam?” Liam grinned over at Theo, pointing at the radio.

 

“I know this song! It was in Thor: Ragnarok.” Theo looked appalled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he squinted them at the excited beta.

 

“Seriously Littlewolf, that’s where you know this song from?” Theo shook his head, sighing as he did so. “I’m so disappointed.”

 

“We can’t all be old men that listen to dad music like you, Theo.” Theo narrowed his eyes at him before laughing slightly.

 

“Classic rock is the most badass form of music out there. And it's ageless.” Theo pointed a finger at him, jerking the wheel and focusing back on the road when Liam gasped out his name, pointing at a car stopping directly in front of them. Theo would have hit the Prius if he didn’t have supernatural reflexes. He mumbled curses under his breath, focusing on the road for the last few minutes of their drive to Sinema.

 

Theo didn’t need enhanced senses to hear the music coming from the building as they pulled into the parking lot. Mason and Corey had already parked and were waiting outside Mason’s car for the other two. Once Theo cut off the truck and they were walking over to the others, Mason spoke up.

 

“Took you two long enough. Did you stop to have a makeout session on the way here?” Mason’s tone was clearly joking, but Liam blushed slightly anyway and Theo rolled his eyes.

 

“You should have told me, Liam, I would have pulled over.” His tone was dry and dripped sarcasm, causing Liam to grin.

 

“I’ll make sure I let you know next time.” Theo grinned at this, and Corey laughed slightly before dragging his boyfriend into the building. Once they were all inside, they sat down at a booth. Seconds later, Corey was setting down a small container of blue liquid before he and Mason were off, disappearing into the crowd. Theo eventually stood up with a sigh, extending a hand to Liam. When he received nothing but a confused look in response, Theo grabbed his wrist and hauled him out of the booth.

 

“You wanted to come here, so you’re going to dance.” Liam’s protests were drowned out by the music, or Theo chose to ignore them. Theo grabbed two drinks from a passing waiter, pouring a small bit of the blue liquid into each glass and handing one to Liam. Liam paused before bringing the glass to his lips, it’s not that he doesn’t trust Theo, he just didn’t like drinking random blue tinted things. Theo sensed his hesitation, grinning at Liam before chugging his drink and grimacing as the bitter alcohol burned his throat the whole way down.

 

“Why are we even drinking Theo, we cant get drunk.” Theo grinned at him, pointing to Liam’s drink and then at the container of blue liquid barely visible in his jean pocket.

 

“Just try it, Liam.” The beta sighed in response, drinking the shot a lot slower than Theo did. The liquid burned as it traveled down his throat, and Liam grabbed the second glass Theo handed him. He downed it, grinning as Theo did the same with his second. The drinks came at a steady flow after that, both of the were-creatures feeling looser by the third shot. By the fourth, Liam realized that he was a lightweight, and by the seventh drink both of them were almost wasted.

 

They danced with zero remorse, stopping at nine drinks and just _moving_. Theo laughed at Liam when said werewolf did an insane wiggly-armed dance that sober Liam would _never do_ , and definitely not in front of a filming Theo. The phone was soon forgotten, tucked into Theo’s pocket once more when Theo started dancing. Either Liam was far more drunk than he thought, or Theo wasn’t half bad. The chimera moved fluidly, Liam getting lost in watching the movements. He didn’t seem to be the only one, however, because 3 or 4 girls and at least one guy had stopped dancing or, in the guy’s case, drinking at the bar, to watch Theo dance.

 

Liam felt a growl rise out of his throat before he could stop it, earning him a confused look from Theo. When one of the girls wandered too close Theo finally noticed, stepping closer to Liam without having seemed to move at all. The girl didn’t seem to get the hint, however, because she continued getting closer until she was pressed up against Theo’s side.

 

Theo wrinkled his nose at the terrible scent of her perfume and turned to Liam. He leaned closer to the beta, who was dancing on his other side. Liam shot him a sympathetic look and in turn, Theo moved his head to speak in Liam’s ear. He knew Liam could hear him over the music even if he spoke normally, but he didn’t want the annoying woman at his side to hear him either.

 

“Sorry for this.” Liam heard Theo slur the words in his ear before he was being spun to face the Chimera, who began dancing pressed up against Liam.

 

Liam’s mouth fell open in shock but Theo began speaking again before he could.

 

“Is she gone?” Liam stood on his tiptoes to look over the older boy’s shoulder and nodded when the woman shot the two of them a disgusted look before wandering off. Liam heard Theo mutter a quiet “thank god” in his ear before leaning away slightly. By now the crowd has thickened, keeping Theo from moving too far away. Liam wasn’t really complaining, instead grinning at Theo and leaning in to whisper in his ear about the loud music.

 

“Thought you were an atheist.” Theo’s laugh made Liam grin, pulling away to look at his reaction. Liam must have definitely been drunker than before because Theo’s laugh was contagious.

 

After a little bit more dancing, Liam felt himself being dragged through the crowd to the exit. Once the two of them were outside, Theo started laughing harder than before. Liam decided at that moment that he liked drunk Theo a lot more than asshole Theo.

 

“That’s so nice ‘f you to say, Liam.” Theo’s words were still slurred and Liam was just now realizing he said that out loud.

 

“Sorry, I like both Theos, ‘s just that drunk Theo ‘s nicer.” Theo laughed at that, leaning against the side of the building.

 

“No need to ‘pologize Littlewolf.” Liam grinned at Theo, glad he wasn’t angry with Liam. Theo was speaking again before Liam had the change to voice these thoughts.

 

“Damn, that woman wouldn’t back off huh?” Liam nodded vigorously then stopped, looking at Theo with curiosity in his eyes.

 

“She was pretty though, why’d you turn her away?” Theo laughed at that, and Liam was surprised he could understand that sentence with how slurred it was.

 

“Not really my type.” Liam’s confusion only deepened at this.

 

“But she was like the oppo.. opposite of the lady at the diner. What is your type?” Liam struggled with the word opposite before finally getting it out and finishing his sentence, earning a raised eyebrow from Theo.

 

“If you haven’t figured it out yet then you really are just a pretty face.” Liam narrowed his eyes at him before smiling brightly. He pointed at Theo, almost taking his eye out.

 

“You think I’m pretty!” Theo began laughing and Liam hurried to continue. “And ‘m not stupid! I figure lots ‘f stuffs out, like the plan at the zoo, you said that was a good plan.”

 

“No you idiot, ‘m talkin about how you didn’t figure out ‘m gay!” Theo began laughing again, pointing at Liam as he leaned more heavily against the wall. “Your best friend ‘s gay and you didn’t even know.”

 

Theo seemed to think this was the funniest thing that had ever happened to him until he caught Liam staring at him in shock.

 

“You’re WHAT?!” Theo clamped his hands over his ears, glaring at Liam. He pointed a finger at Liam accusingly.

 

“If you do that again I’m gonna pull your eyeballs outta your head. And ‘ou heard me.” Liam looked at him in shock before quickly covering his eyes and running around in a circle.

 

“‘U can’t ‘ave my eyes! They’re mine!” Theo grabbed him by the shoulder on his fifth circle and Liam’s momentum caused him to fall on top of Theo with a squeak. Theo grunted and pushed Liam off of him, standing up and brushing off the front of his shirt like he didn’t land on his back. As Liam was standing up, Mason and Corey came outside.

 

“Dude, what happened to you two?” Corey’s concerned tone vaporized when he saw the blue container laying on the ground, almost completely empty. Mason picked it up and Corey looked at the two in shock.

 

“You used almost all of it?! I told you to only use less than half!” Mason looked between his boyfriend and the older chimera. His attention was then drawn to Liam, who was having a very one-sided conversation with an alley cat.

 

“Intense.” Theo pulled his keys out of his back pocket with mild difficulty, and Corey snatched them away before he could turn to go to his truck. This earned a pout from Theo, who tried to grab his keys.

 

“Nuh-uh, no way are you driving.” Theo scowled at him, advancing on Corey like a lion stalking its prey.

 

“Gimme my keys ‘orey.”

 

“You can’t even speak, you definitely can’t drive.” Theo glared at him, lunging for the keys. Corey simply stepped to the side and Theo spun around, growling at him.

 

“Fine, if you can walk in a straight line and convince Liam to stop talking to the cat then you can drive to Mason’s house. Theo glared at him but walked in what he thought was a straight line and tapped Liam on the shoulder.

 

“C’mon Liam we gotta go.”

 

“But I wanna stay and talk to my friend!” Theo growled in response, his eyes flashing, and as a result, the cat hissed and ran away. Liam whimpered, standing up and following Theo reluctantly. Mason watched the altercation with wide eyes while his boyfriend laughed at the two idiots clearly drunk off their asses. The straight line Theo walked, in fact, looked more like a serpentine, with Theo having gotten turned around at least once and stumbling twice. Corey turned to Mason, about to comment on it when he noticed the wide-eyed way he was staring at the two. He knew for a fact that the two of them hadn’t touched a drink, knowing someone was going to have to drive Theo’s drunk back.

 

“You ok babe?” Mason nodded but grabbed his boyfriend’s arm, pulling him a few feet away from where Theo and Liam had fallen to the ground and were now stargazing.

 

“Did you see that?” Corey nodded, giving his boyfriend a confused look. He wasn’t sure what Mason was freaking out about, Liam had simply gotten up and followed Theo. Mason huffed and rolled his eyes before not so subtly pointing at Theo.

 

“His eyes were _orange_ Corey!” Corey’s eyes widened, and he glanced back at the two.

 

“I’m pretty sure it was just the light-” Mason glared at his boyfriend, cutting him off.

 

“And Liam just listened! He never listens to anyone!” Corey seemed to catch on then, his mouth falling open for a second before he began speaking.

 

“You think Theo is a-” he wasn’t able to finish because Theo and Liam were suddenly behind them, Liam’s voice cutting into their conversation.

 

“You think Theo’s a what?” Mason simply shook his head, shoving the two of them towards Mason’s car. He mouthed a “let’s talk later” to Corey as he climbed into the car, driving off as soon as Corey started Theo’s truck.

 

Theo complained the whole way home, drunkenly ranting about how if Corey scratched his truck he would kill him. Mason sent a text to Mrs. Geyer that Liam and Theo were going to stay the night at his place since his parents were out of town. Her only reply was “tell Liam to brush his teeth.” Mason laughed slightly then pulled into his driveway, herding the two drunk were-creatures into the house.

 

They both collapsed on the couch, too drunk to notice that Liam had fallen on top of Theo and was nuzzling into his neck like it was a pillow. Theo slapped the top of his head, causing Liam to go still, and not 5 minutes later both of them were snoring loudly.

 

Corey pulled up a few minutes later and Mason was dragging him upstairs, leaving the other two downstairs to sleep on the uncomfortable couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter is definitely less angsty than the last one, and I tried to add in some cute moments for you guys to make up for last chapter xD. If you didn't feel comfortable reading it then this chapter was just a happy fluffy one for you guys! 
> 
> I've only got a few classes left to finish, so after this weekend I should be back to updating regularly. Thank you to those of you who hung with me during the 20 something days I wasn't updating. 
> 
> Lemme know if you find any mistakes or if you have ideas on how to improve the story!


	9. Chapter 9

 

When Liam woke up, it felt as if someone had attempted to smash his head with a very large hammer. The sun pouring in through the windows only aggravated him further, causing a low growl to emit from the beta's throat. Liam instantly regretted the noise, the growl seeming to echo forever in his head. Liam attempted to stand up but was unable to move due to an arm slung around his waist. Liam frantically searched his fuzzy memory in an attempt to figure out where he was, and who the body pressed against his back belonged to.  

 

He calmed slightly when the memory of Corey driving them to Mason’s house and falling asleep on the couch resurfaced. This calm was short-lived, however, because Theo curled closer in his sleep, the long span of his body pressing tighter against Liam's back. Liam's heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, the sound resounding in his sensitive ears. Liam could hear Theo's steady heartbeat as well, and he had the urge to clamp his hands over his ears.

 

Liam placed a hand over Theo's and lifted it, trying to squirm out of the chimera's grip. A deep growl came from behind Liam and he paused, the large hand taking advantage of the stillness. Theo's hand clamped back onto the beta's waist. He regretted moving in the first place when Theo pulled him closer, snoring softly into Liam's hair. Liam closed his eyes again, trying to stay as still as possible. He seemed to fail since Theo's snoring stopped and he let out another low growl.

 

"Stop moving Liam. It's loud." Liam froze for a second then nodded, settling down and actually stilling this time. Theo hummed contentedly when Liam finally stilled, drifting back to sleep. As much as Liam tried to drown out all noise the sound of cars going by outside and birds chirping assaulted his over-sensitive hearing. He began to feel nauseous and tapped Theo on the arm.

  
"Theo let me go." Theo's only response was to growl at him, tightening his grip. Liam felt like he was going to be sick, and voiced this to Theo. He would have laughed at how quickly the chimera released him if he wasn't making a mad dash for the bathroom.

  
Once Liam had been emptied of everything in his stomach, he leaned against the wall, resting his head against the cold wallpaper. He heard someone enter and the sound of water running, but didn’t feel confident in his ability to raise his head. Once Liam felt well enough to open his eyes, he found Theo standing by the sink and wetting a washcloth. He couldn't bring himself to stand, so he simply stared up at the older boy. Theo seemed to sense his gaze, wringing out the washcloth before walking over and bending down in front of the beta. He pressed the cool fabric against Liam's head, grimacing at the distress coming from Liam's chemosignals. The werewolf leaned into the cool touch, only to whimper pitifully when it was taken away a minute later.

  
Theo's laugh, as much as Liam loved to hear it any other day, made the beta wince and close his eyes again. Theo glanced at him with sympathy before speaking softly.

  
"C'mon Liam, Mason and Corey are in the kitchen cooking. You need to eat." The thought of food made Liam sick, so he shook his head and scooted away from Theo. The older boy simply rolled his eyes, grabbing Liam by the wrist and using both the surprise and a small amount of supernatural strength to pull the beta along with him. Theo shoved Liam down into a chair, grabbing the plate Mason was holding and setting it down in front of the pouting beta. Liam gave Theo 'puppy-wolf eyes' receiving only a smirk in return. Liam wasn't one to back down from a challenge, so he crossed his arms and sat back in the chair. The two stared each other down, Theo with an arched eyebrow and Liam fighting back the urge to be sick.

  
Their staring contest was broken when Corey sat down, silently handing Liam a bottle of water and smiling sympathetically at him. Liam accepted with a nod, taking a large gulp of water and instantly regretting it. He went slower on his next sip, Theo grabbing a piece of toast on what had previously been Mason's plate. As soon as Liam set the water down, his stomach growled. The thought of eating still made him feel sick to his stomach, but he was pretty damn hungry. When Theo went to grab another piece of toast, Liam snatched it away from him and ate it slowly.

  
After eating about 3 and a half pieces of toast total, Liam's head was feeling much better. Theo didn't seem all that affected by his hangover, but Liam knew he must be in at least a small amount of pain judging by the Advil he took an excessive amount of. Liam took another sip of water and laid his head down on the table.

  
Liam must have fallen asleep because he was awoken by the jingling of keys and Theo shaking his left shoulder lightly. Theo's voice helped wake Liam up slightly, but he was still groggy and had the remnants of a hangover pushing at his temples.

  
“Liam wake up, we need to head back to your house.” Liam whined, but stood up and followed the chimera outside. The sound of the truck’s engine wasn’t nearly as bad as Liam expected, and the trees passing in a blur didn’t make him feel as sick as he originally predicted. By the time they pulled into the driveway, Liam felt much better. Theo had rolled down the windows, letting fresh air seep into the car as he drove a good 10mph over the speed limit on the way home. As they got out of the car and stepped into the house, Jenna smiled at the boys from the couch.

  
“Welcome home boys, how was movie night at Mason’s?” Liam covered his grin by bending down to take his shoes off as his mother walked closer to the two. Mason would be receiving many thanks later, and possibly a gift, for being such an amazing friend. When Liam didn’t answer for quite a few seconds, Theo shot him a glare and answered Jenna’s question.

  
“It was great Mrs. Geyer, thank you for letting us stay.” Jenna waved her hand in a motion that Theo interpreted as ‘don’t mention it’ and smiled at Theo.

  
“We’ve been over this, call me Jenna.” Theo nodded, taking off his shoes as well and making a swift retreat to what the Geyer’s labeled as his room. Theo still referred to it as the guest room, yet they all knew Theo living with them allowed for the room to now be considered his. Liam smiled at his mom, shooting her a half-hearted glare and fixing his hair after she ruffled it. As he walked up to his room, Liam couldn’t help but think of last night. The confession Theo made while drunk was spinning around in Liam’s mind. He desperately wanted to ask Theo if he meant it, but the older boy tended to shut down when asked personal questions.

  
Liam entered his room, busying himself with cleaning and organizing his desk. He felt jittery for some reason, finally unable to deal with the tension hanging in the air. Just as he was talking himself into just talking to Theo, the door swung open to reveal the other were-creature.

  
“Your fidgeting was bothering me, what’s going on Liam?” The way that Theo casually leaned against the doorframe momentarily distracted Liam, causing him to stutter over the words he had rehearsed over and over in his head.

  
“You said… Last night you said… I was wondering if…” A sigh cut off Liam’s stuttering, and he glanced at Theo’s face before fixing his eyes on the carpet. The older boy prompted Liam to continue with an annoyed, “Spit it out Liam.”

  
“Whenyousaidlastnighttha-”

  
“Woah slow down, I can’t understand what you’re saying when you speak that fast Liam. Start over.” Theo’s words came out in an annoyed huff, and Liam didn’t bother arguing. Taking a deep breath and starting over, Liam felt some of the tension melt away from him when he saw the amused but sincere look on Theo’s face.

  
“When you said you were gay last night, you weren’t just saying it because you were drunk, right?” Theo let out a barking laugh, causing Liam to flinch. What if Theo had just said that to make him feel better about coming out, what if he wasn’t actually gay and was going to hate Liam for thinking that, what if he had said it as a jok- Liam’s inner rambling was cut off by Theo’s gruff voice, no longer laughing but still bearing an air of mirth.

  
“Of course I meant it Liam,” Theo paused, giving Liam a quizzical look before laughing slightly. When he recovered he continued his sentence. “Did you question Mason when he came out?”

  
Liam shook his head, then started laughing at the memory of when Mason came out to him. Tears leaked out of his eyes as he laughed harder than he had in a while, collapsing to sit on the bed. Theo simply shot him a confused look as Liam wiped the remnants of moisture from his lashes. The beta wolf looked up at Theo and shook his head again.

  
“Theo, Mason didn’t have to come out. A girl kissed him on the playground and he screamed. I mean really screamed, it hurt all of our ears and the girl ran away crying. He officially came out a couple years later, but it was pretty obvious to all of us before then.” Theo was smiling slightly, but his smile faded as he snapped himself out of the daydream-like state. Liam seemed to notice, his smile fading. He turned to face the older boy.

  
“I’m sorry I doubted you, I just wasn’t sure if you only said it to make me feel better, or you were drunk and didn’t know what you were saying or-” Liam realized he was rambling again, the tips of his ears turning red when he noticed Theo’s amused gaze.

  
“If it makes you feel better, you’re the only one who knows.” Liam’s mouth literally fell open at that, and he stared at Theo in shock for a few minutes.

  
“Wow I uh… That’s… good?” The corner of Theo’s mouth twitched up into a smile at Liam’s rambling.

  
“Mhm, powerful information you’ve got there. Surprise everyone, evil mastermind Theo Raeken sucks dick.” Liam blushed, thankful that Theo was wrapped up in laughing at his own joke as he walked out of the room and didn’t notice. Once Theo left for work, Liam got up and cleaned the rest of the room in a daze.

  
The rest of the night passed without any more embarrassment for Liam, except for at dinner. Liam’s mom bought Chinese takeout, dropping off the boy’s food and heading to the hospital to eat with David. Dr. Geyer had another late night at the hospital, Jenna taking pity on him and agreeing to eat at the hospital with her husband. The two boys decided to watch TV. Liam was flipping channels while Theo ate. He had turned to ask Theo if the show was alright with him when the words died on his tongue. The sight of Theo eating with chopsticks, his long fingers moving them easily, caused Liam’s mouth to run dry. When Theo turned his head to look at him curiously, Liam’s eyes snapped back to the TV. Theo seemed to start to say something, then paused. He sniffed the air for a second, then his eyes narrowed dangerously on Liam. Luckily for Theo, the beta was so concerned trying to mask the scent of arousal in the air, cursing his hormones for being so unpredictable and easily excited that he failed to notice the predatory look in the chimera’s eyes.

  
“Wow Liam, I didn’t know clearly fake ghost hunting got you going.” Liam glared at Theo, snatching away their shared food and changing the channel. The old, wrinkly man in a speedo caused the smell of arousal to leave Liam’s chemosignals so fast it almost made Theo dizzy. He let out a small laugh, masking it with a cough. The beta muttered a “Shut up, Theo” and took a larger than necessary bite of chicken and switching the channel again.

  
They eventually settled on a history documentary. Well, settled may not be a good term to use, since Theo had changed the channel on Ancient Greece and Liam had broken his nose. Theo cussed at Liam, holding his bleeding nose as Liam watched the documentary with a smug smile on his face. Once Theo’s nose healed, he broke one of Liam’s fingers and declared them even. Once the two were done eating and the documentary was down to the last twenty minutes, Theo stood up. He threw his empty food container away, declaring that he was going to take a shower.

  
Twenty minutes later and Liam could still hear the water running in their shared bathroom at the end of the hall. He settled into bed, deciding to study a bit before showering when a loud bang resounded from outside his window. Liam startled, rushing to look outside. The whole pack had been on edge after Scott sent out a text reminding everyone that Monroe was still back, even if she hadn’t showed up yet, and to stay alert. Liam had the urge to roll his eyes at himself when the loud noise was only the result of a stray cat knocking over a trashcan. His relief was abruptly cut off when Theo’s voice was heard from the doorway.

  
“What the hell was that noise?” Liam nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice, then wished the ground would swallow him up when his eyes met Theo’s bare torso. Liam slunk away from the window, trying and failing not to watch the droplets of water make their way down Theo’s chest and abs, disappearing into the towel wrapped around his waist.

  
“Jesus, Theo! Where are your clothes?” Liam knew his voice came out higher pitched than intended, but if Theo noticed he didn’t comment. He simply fixed Liam with a stern glare, somehow seeming concerned and conveying annoyance with the same raise of his eyebrow.

  
“Last time there was a loud noise, you were kidnapped in the middle of the night.” Liam sighed, knowing he had a point. Mostly though, he just wished Theo had put on some damn clothes before storming in.

  
“It was a cat, I’m fine.” He brushed past Theo, who was still standing in the doorway. He regretted it the minute that his shoulder came into contact with the chimera’s cool skin, but Theo didn’t seem to care. He walked over to the window, looking out as Liam rushed into the bathroom. There was still steam on the mirror from Theo’s shower, and as Liam pulled back the curtain he almost doubled over at the scent that hit him. A scent that was a mixture of sex and something that Liam could only describe as Theo assaulted his nose, and Liam resisted the urge to run out of the bathroom and hide under his covers. He knew Theo would know something was up if Liam came out of the bathroom without showering, having to pass the older boy’s bedroom on the way. Liam decided to just get over it and started the shower. The water seemed to help wash away the smell slightly, but Liam still felt lightheaded as he shampooed his hair quicker than usual. Liam was in the shower for a total of 10 minutes, far shorter than the amount of time he usually spent. He dreaded going back to school tomorrow, the weekend having felt far to short. Liam must have been far more tired than he thought, or he was still slightly hungover, because he fell asleep within seconds of crawling into bed.

  
Monday was a boring day for Liam. Assignment after assignment was due, he had several pop quizzes, and was getting frustrated with his inability to focus. The rest of the week passed the same, with almost no supernatural events whatsoever. Unless Theo cheating on a game of uno by using his enhanced senses counted. Lacrosse practice after school on Friday was harder than usual, which Liam was thankful for. Practice gave him a way to channel his energy as always, a sense of pride flaring up in his chest when Theo gave him a lopsided smirk every time he scored a goal or a small wave when the beta looked up into the mostly empty stands.

  
After practice, Liam convinced Theo to stop at Whataburger on the way home. Theo had refused up until Liam had called Jenna and asked what she was making for dinner. The minute the words “spinach casserole” left her mouth, Theo was cutting across traffic dangerously to pull into the nearest drive-through. As much as Theo appreciated not having to steal food and having a warm bed rather than sleeping in the back of the truck, Jenna’s spinach casserole was enough to make him wish he had never left that never-ending nightmare. The thought of Tara sent a shiver down Theo’s spine, but luckily Liam was so busy stuffing fries in his mouth that he didn’t notice. Theo snatched the bag of food away from Liam, never taking his eyes off the road. He grinned at the astonished, “Hey!” from Liam.

  
“If you ate all of the fries I’m going to poison you with wolfsbane.” Theo’s amused tone held an underlying sense of honesty, and Liam didn’t really want to figure out if he would follow through. Liam simply glared at Theo, reaching into the bag for another fry. Liam wasn’t expecting Theo to snatch the bag out of the way, causing Liam to grab the inside of his thigh instead. Theo let out a string of profanities, nearly swerving into the next lane. Liam blushed darkly, mumbling out apology after apology.

  
Just when Liam was considering opening the door and throwing himself into traffic, Theo started laughing. He almost took his hands off the wheel, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes. Liam hadn’t seen Theo laugh that hard in… ever, and as concerning as the fact that he had to reach over and hold the wheel was, Liam found himself grinning at the chimera despite his embarrassment.

 

“Oh my god Liam… you could have at least taken me on a date first.” Theo struggled to complete the sentence around his laughter, but finally seemed to gain enough control to properly drive the truck. Liam laughed slightly, actually grabbing the food this time. He ate all but a few fries, about to pull out the burger he ordered when the truck stopped in the driveway of Liam’s house. Theo snatched away the bag of food once again, climbing out of the truck. It was surprising that the bag hadn’t ripped from how much they snatched it.

  
Once the two walked inside, Jenna met them at the door. She took one look at the bag of food and laughed, shaking her head as she went to sit at the table with David. Cautiously following her into the dining room, Liam worked up the courage to ask if they could eat upstairs. When he got the ok, he grabbed the chimera’s wrist and hauled him upstairs before they could be forced into eating casserole. Theo gladly followed, setting the bag down on Liam’s desk as soon as they entered the beta’s room.

  
The older boy sat at Liam’s desk while the beta turned on the game console, switching it over to Netflix. Theo sorted out their food, tossing Liam his sandwich. The box of chicken strips was set between them as Theo joined Liam on the floor, already starting on his burger. The two flipped through Netflix for a good 15 minutes before deciding on a movie. 

 

After that ended, they started a new show that neither of the boys had seen before. It was around 4:30 a.m. before the two fell asleep. 

 

They woke up to the smell of meat cooking, and Liam poked Theo in the side to wake him up. He received an annoyed growl, doing it once more before Theo broke his finger. Once the two boys had taken turns brushing their teeth and getting dressed, they headed downstairs. Jenna and David were finishing up cooking lunch, and smiled at the two teenagers when they walked in. 

 

“Do you boys remember when we said we planned on taking that trip to Florida for a few days?” Jenna said. When Liam nodded and Theo offered a quiet, “yes ma’am” she continued. “Well we decided to take that trip this weekend. We are leaving tonight and will be back on Tuesday.” The two of them nodded, accepting the plates David handed them with matching nods. Jenna smiled fondly, also accepting a plate from her husband. After they ate, Jenna suggested watching a movie.

 

When everyone agreed, taking a spot in the living room, she pulled up the movie she rented. Liam recognized the movie, frantically searching his brain for a good excuse. He had seen the movie before with Theo, but that was before he knew the specifics of Theo’s dreams. He heard a sharp intake of breath from his left, and scooted close to Theo on the couch. He leaned over to whisper in the chimera’s ear, keeping his voice low enough that his parents wouldn’t hear.

 

“We don’t have to watch this Theo, we can tell them we’ve already seen it and go upstairs.” The older boy shook his head slightly at Liam’s words, taking a deep breath.

 

“It’s ok Liam, I’ll be fine. Besides, your mom wants to watch this and they will be leaving in a few hours. I’ve sat through worse.” Liam nodded, letting out a sigh as his step-father started the movie. The first time Samara came on screen, Theo’s hands shook from how tightly they gripped his jeans. The second time, Liam wrapped his hand around Theo’s wrist like he did after the chimera had nightmares. The older boy seemed to snap out of some kind of trance, glancing down at Liam’s hand on his wrist before smiling slightly at the beta. The third time she came on screen, Liam leaned closer to whisper in the chimera’s ear.

 

“You ok T?” When he received a nod and an equally quiet, “I’m ok” from Theo, he returned his attention to the movie. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye wasup peeps. Sorry this took so long to get done, I’m trying to plan the layout for the final few chapters. If anyone was wondering, the movie referenced at the end is Rings. I noticed the girl in the movie looks a lot like Tara, and what is a timeline? 
> 
> No timeline’s in this house. My characters exist in whatever year I see fit bc I can’t write correctly lol. Sorry this is so short, but the next one will be longer I swear. 
> 
> Lemme know what you guys think, as well as any errors or plot holes you find!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo’s nightmare will be in bold.

 

Theo wasn’t alright. He had gotten up halfway through the movie, ignoring Liam’s look of concern as he made a vague excuse of needing to text his boss back. As Theo locked himself in his room, he let his thoughts run wild.

 

Theo’s nightmares had been getting worse. He knew it, and he feared Liam knew it as well. After nights when they were particularly bad, Liam would offer him coffee first before making his own, or let Theo take the most food at breakfast, or doing whatever Theo wanted during the day, letting him shower first, and other things like that. Theo dreaded going to bed, because recently his dreams had been changing. They had gotten more graphic, but also induced a greater sense of terror than before. Theo didn’t know why though. Usually he remembered his dreams, they would chase him all throughout the day or hang like a dark cloud over his happy moments. He had started to get better though, and as much as the older chimera hated to admit it, Liam was helping. But now the dreams would fade from memory as he woke up, and left him feeling hollow and terrified. Like someone had not only ripped his heart out -like Tara did- but has taken his very soul. It felt to Theo like someone had ripped the light out from his soul, or stolen the sun from his world.

 

Theo shook off the thoughts, going down the stairs two at a time when Jenna called his name. She shot him a concerned look, evidently having called him a few times. The Geyers said goodbye to Liam and Theo, Liam hugging both his parents and Theo smiling politely. Neither of Liam’s parents forced Theo into a hug, the older boy seeming off. They reminded Liam to do his homework, and told Theo to keep an eye on him.

 

That night the boys had decided to watch a different movie, and had ordered pizza. The movie had long stopped playing, the tv frozen on the end credits. Liam had fallen asleep on one side of the couch, Theo on the other. Their legs were unintentionally tangled up under the blanket, and the beta was snoring softly. While Liam slept soundly, Theo’s heartbeat rapidly increased.

 

**Theo was standing in a dark hallway, one that looked all to familiar. His heartbeat echoed in his ears, faster than usual. He looked around frantically for his sister, but there was no sign of her. Theo’s feet were moving suddenly, something gravitationally pulling him towards the morgue. He tried to fight it, to move against the unknown force pulling him, but his struggling was in vain. His body moved without his permission, swinging open the doors to the morgue and walking inside. He felt hollow, like something was missing, but when he put his hand to his chest his heart was still there, beating away. He looked around the room, and his eyes fell on a table in the darkest corner. He found himself drawn to it. A familiar looking body was on the table, yet Theo couldn’t place it. Once he was only a few feet away from the table, he recognized the body as Liam. The boy appeared to be sleeping, but he opened his eyes when Theo drew closer. His chest was rising and falling rhythmically, and he smiled brightly at Theo. When he made no move to rise from the table, Theo tried to wander closer, only to find something stopping him.**

 

**Theo caught movement out of the corner of his eye and looked over. Tara was moving along the ground towards the table, her strange gait looking as demonic as ever. Theo opened his mouth to warn Liam, yet no sound came out. He tried to advance once again, but found he couldn’t move. His mind was screaming at him to move and to help Liam, yet he felt paralyzed. As Tara climbed onto the table, Liam kept smiling at Theo. The chimera tried to look away when he found he couldn’t move, but something prevented him from averting his eyes. As Tara reared her arm back, Liam spoke.**

 

**“You are not worthy of love, Theo Raeken.” The voice wasn’t Liam’s, yet it sounded like him, and was ushered from his mouth. The voice lacked the usual emotion that Liam bore. Even when he tried to put on an emotionless mask, the beta’s voice discredited him, yet now it was completely hollow. A whispered plea of, “Tara don’t,” left Theo’s lips, the words coming out broken. Liam didn’t break eye contact, simply letting out a cry of pain when Tara ripped his heart out before falling silent. Theo let out a wordless cry of Liam’s name, crumbling to his knees. The older boy’s chest ached like Tara had ripped his heart out instead.**

 

**When his sister crawled off Liam, she looked the same way she did when Theo pushed her into the river, only with a gaping wound in her chest. Her purple lips twitched into a wicked grin and she held out Liam’s bloody heart to her brother.**

 

**“What’s yours is mine Theodore Raeken.” Her voice sounded different than it did when she was alive, more hollow and demonic. Liam’s last words echoed in his mind as the steady drip... drip... drip... of Liam’s blood hitting the floor resounded around the room.**

 

Theo shot up, a wordless cry of Liam’s name leaving his lips once more. The beta was already by his side, crouching next to the couch.

 

“-eo? You’re ok. She’s gone now.” Theo took large, gulping breaths. Liam reached a hand out, curling around Theo’s wrist like he did so often. The gesture usually comforted the older boy. But when his fingers came into contact with Theo’s wrist, it felt to the chimera like Liam had burned him. Before he could control his reaction, his eyes glowed and he growled at the beta.

 

“Don’t fucking touch me.” The chimera was positivity seething, and Liam recoiled like he had been shot. The wild look in the older boy’s eyes made his heart shatter, and the smell of pure terror and guilt in the air made Liam nauseous. Liam mumbled an apology, raising another growl out of Theo. The deep, gravely noise paired with wild, glowing eyes caused Liam to bow his head to try to escape the gaze. Theo growled again and suddenly Liam was on his back, the older boy pinning his wrists to the floor. Liam felt the prick of claws on his arms as Theo hurried his head into Liam’s neck. Liam whimpered when Theo growled again, feeling the deep rumble of it against his throat.

 

The smell of cinnamon and fire flooded Theo’s senses, clearing the fog in his mind. He heard a quiet whimper come from underneath him, soft skin inches from his face. He wanted to bite down hard, to draw more whimpers and whines from the werewolf under him. Theo leaped backwards, scrambling away from the beta.

 

“Oh god Liam... I’m sorry.” Before Liam had a chance to sit up, let alone reply, Theo was gone. He heard the upstairs bathroom click shut, the sound of the lock echoing through the silent house. Liam stood up on shaky legs, desperately wishing away the remnants of arousal he felt. He took a deep breath, attempting to clear his head. This ended up backfiring when the only thing he smelt was _Theo_. Liam’s knees nearly buckled, but he willed himself to think of Coach in a bikini. It worked so well that Liam almost felt dizzy, but he bolted upstairs and knocked lightly on the bathroom door.

 

“Uh Theo? You ok?” Theo would have rolled his eyes at the concern in Liam’s tone, but he was too busy trying to figure out what the _fuck_ he just did.

 

“Not now Liam.” Theo’s voice came out deeper than usual, but he was too concerned with masking the fear and _not_ arousal in his chemosignals to notice.

 

“Are you ok? That... you usually don’t... react that badly.” Theo took a deep breath, peeling off his sweaty shirt and splashing water on his face before opening the door.

 

Liam’s jaw almost fell open, only staying closed by sheer force of will, when Theo opened the bathroom door shirtless. Liam would have been convinced this was an assassination attempt if it weren’t for the fear still rolling off the chimera in waves. He forced himself to look only at the older boy’s face, trying -and failing- not to glance down at Theo’s lips as he talked.

 

“You’re right, it was worse. I’m sorry I reacted that way. It just... I felt like I had no control.” He seemed to grumble the next part more to himself then Liam. “I hate not having control.”

 

Liam shook his head, reaching an arm out to lay a hand on Theo’s shoulder. Theo flinched slightly, but stilled when Liam began speaking.

 

“Don’t ever apologize for things that are out of your control Theo. You don’t owe anyone an apology.” Liam’s voice was filled with so much conviction that Theo found himself nodding, only to glance down at the floor a second later.

 

“But I-“ He started, only to be interrupted by Liam.

 

“No. Theo, it wasn’t your fault.” Liam said, causing the older boy to sigh before nodding again. He offered Liam a small smile, walking past him and heading into his room.

 

Liam’s hand dropped awkwardly to his side and he walked back downstairs, tidying up the empty pizza boxes and folding the blanket on the couch. He turned the tv off before heading upstairs, going into his room. After stripping off his shirt and changing out of the shorts he wore earlier in the evening, the beta found himself wondering what Theo dreamed about that turned him so... feral. He knew the older boy locked a lot of stuff away in his mind, carried a shit-ton of baggage around with him, but he had never seen Theo’s walls crumble that badly.

 

While Liam was trying to unravel the mystery that Theo posed, the chimera was pacing his room. Finally, Theo sat down on his bed and lowered his head. As he ran his fingers through his hair he replayed the dream again in his head. He felt his heart rate raise, but now that he had let it in, the dream wouldn’t leave his head. Theo closed his eyes to try to escape the visual of Tara ripping out the beta’s heart, but it seemed etched behind his eyelids.

 

Liam heard Theo’s breathing pick up, his heart rate spiking, and he was out of his bed before he processed his actions. He paused outside the chimera’s door, debating leaving the issue alone and going back to his room. When Theo’s breathing came quicker, Liam opened the door and called the chimera’s name quietly into the dark room. Receiving no reply, Liam used his enhanced vision to navigate his way to where Theo was sitting on the bed, his head bowed and his hands buried in his hair, covering the back of his head. Liam crouched in front of the older boy, looking at him with concern.

 

“Theo? Can you hear me?” The older boy’s eyes snapped open when Liam spoke, eyes glowing orange in the darkness. Liam sucked in a breath, always getting caught off guard by the chimera’s eyes. He lightly grasped Theo’s wrists and pulling them away from his still bowed head. Liam winced when Theo’s claws came away covered with blood, but he was more worried about the older boy’s irregular breathing.

 

“T, I need you to breathe. You’re here, you’re safe. Tara can’t get you.” Liam was worried he said the wrong thing when Theo shook his head and growled softly, but it seemed to have the desired effect because the chimera’s eyes stopped glowing. Theo’s breathing also evened out, his claws retracting.

 

“Can I check your head? I think you’re bleeding.” Theo nodded at Liam’s words, keeping his head bowed as the younger boy stood up to inspect his scalp. Liam wanted to take the time to appreciate how silky and smooth Theo’s hair was, but he refrained himself. The small puncture wounds in the older boy’s head were already starting to heal, the tiny wounds closing up as the flesh knitted itself back together. Liam jumped when Theo’s voice cut through the silence.

 

“Thank you Liam.” The beta nodded at Theo, a sudden idea sparking in his brain.

 

“We should get out, just for the weekend.” Theo arched an eyebrow at Liam’s words, but shrugged. He looked out the window, seeming to carefully calculate his next words.

 

“Where would we go?” Liam grinned, knowing that was as good as a yes from the older boy.

 

“We could go camping in the preserve.” When Theo arched an eyebrow at him again, Liam continued. “David used to take me camping when my IED would get bad. It would help calm me down.” Theo nodded, standing up and heading for the doorway.

 

“Woah woah, we should at least wait until tomorrow. It’s gonna be dawn in a few hours and we still need to pack.” Liam said, causing Theo to let out a deep sigh but nod. He sat back down on his bed, running a hand over his face.

 

“I’m gonna take a shower, then we can start packing.” He announced, standing up and walking to the bathroom. Once he left the room, a feeling of exhaustion washed over Liam. He had sat down on Theo’s bed when he suggested camping, and now he wanted nothing more than to let himself fall onto the mattress and sleep. The sound of running water soothed him, causing him to yawn. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to rest for a few minutes, he would wake up before Theo got out of the shower and pack. It was a foolproof plan really, unless you were an exhausted werewolf apparently.

 

When Theo finally stopped the flow of water from the shower head, he dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist. When he opened the door, steam flooded out of the bathroom. The house was strangely quiet, especially if Liam had started packing. When Theo walked back into his room to change, he was met with the sight of the beta sleeping peacefully on his bed. He smiled slightly, something inside of him causing a wave of satisfaction and possessiveness to wash over him. Liam was here, and he was safe. Tara didn’t have him. Theo let out a sigh, changing quietly so he didn’t wake the beta.

 

The chimera searched the house for camping gear, having to look for a good two and a half hours before he found the camping supplies in the garage. Why they were in a large container labeled ‘remodeling’ Theo didn’t question. The family he had come to live with had a strange way of doing things, but it worked for them somehow.

 

After preparing enough food for the remaining weekend and packing everything into the truck, Liam finally wandered downstairs, a duffle bag tucked under his arm. Theo chose to ignore the fact that Liam had pulled on one of Theo’s hoodies, specifically his favorite. Liam took the cup of coffee offered to him, smiling brightly at Theo. Once the two had eaten breakfast and searched the house for the spare key, it was a quarter past seven a.m.

 

They climbed into the truck, heading for the preserve after one last check of supplies. Theo grabbed most of their camping supplies while Liam carried their clothes and food. The younger boy did _not_ purposefully drag behind just to watch the way Theo’s muscles flexed as he carried the heavy objects like they were weightless, moving around obstacles in the narrow path.

 

After about half an hour of walking the two reached what Theo deemed a worthy camping spot. Liam set up the tent after a few minutes of bickering with Theo over who would do it. (“Of course I don’t know how to set up a tent Liam, I grew up with the Dread Doctors in random sewers.”) While Liam set up the tent Theo went exploring.

 

He had found a stunning river, the water rushing over rocks that glinted in the sunlight. He also found a cliff face good for climbing, caves indenting the rock face and all. As he walked back to the camp, Theo could have swore he felt at least one set of eyes on him, but he passed it off as just being on edge after his dream.

 

Liam was having a mild mental breakdown. The tent was smaller than he remembered, then again he had been around 13 the last time he and David went camping. At this rate, he and Theo would be sleeping shoulder to shoulder. It wasn’t like they hadn’t slept close before, but that had only been for one night at a time. Now, he was going to have to sleep next to the chimera for two days. Liam had no idea why in the hell he thought this had been a good plan, but when he caught sight of theo’s beaming face, it all made sense.

 

“Find anything cool?” Theo smiled at Liam’s question, nodding his head.

 

“Yeah. There’s a river nearby, and it is right next to a cliff we can climb. It has caves and all.” Theo was practically buzzing with barely contained excitement, his eyes shining. Liam smiled brightly, Theo’s happy mood evidently contagious.

 

The teens took turns ducking into the small tent to change into swim trunks, leaving their small camp behind to explore the river. About halfway there, Theo declared it a race. The two tore through the woods, practically shifting in their mad dash to reach the river first. Liam reached the banks a second before Theo did, but the chimera was able to stop quicker than the werewolf. Liam tumbled over his own feet, slipping on the slick bank and tumbling ungracefully into the water. Theo nearly doubled over in laughter, his head tilted back as he laughed loudly.

 

They had been in the water for about 30 minutes, alternating between splashing each other, swimming under the surface to pull the other underwater, and actually swimming. Theo paused mid splash, feeling a sense of unease wash over him again. The feeling of being watched from earlier returned, but when Liam grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the cliff he shook it off.

 

The race to the top seemed to be a bad idea, with Liam getting frustrated about halfway up and instead throwing loose pebbles or small rocks at Theo’s back. Eventually, he grew bored doing that, since it didn’t bother the other boy’s steady climbing at all. He choose instead to climb down to the bottom, watching the muscles in Theo’s back and arms flex as he scaled the cliff. Theo reached the top, turning around to look down at Liam. The beta used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, grinning up at Theo who waved his middle finger down at the younger boy.

 

Theo disappeared over the edge of the cliff, reappearing seconds later as he jumped over the edge of the cliff with an excited yell. Liam was worried he had missed the lake, but when a loud splash was heard, Liam grinned from his spot sitting under the shade of a tree. He shook his head, grinning slightly. After about a minute of Theo not resurfacing, Liam started growing nervous. He stood up, walking to the edge of the water. Not seeing the older boy from his current spot, he jumped across a few rocks to be standing closer to the middle of the lake. The beta let out a startled yelp when a large hand grabbed his ankle, but didn’t have time to react before it was dragging him into the water.

 

Liam resurfaced a second later, cussing and coughing up water. Theo came up right after him, spitting water in the beta’s face before laughing loudly. He swam to the shore, leaving Liam muttering in the middle of the lake.

 

Once Liam reached the shore, Theo was already leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, a cocky grin displayed across his face. The beta scowled at him, rolling his eyes as Theo started laughing again and plucked something out of his hair. He didn’t get a chance to find out what it was, Theo having tossed it away.

 

“You’re such a show off.” Liam’s words were accompanied with a light punch to the older boy’s shoulder. Theo’s grin transformed into a devilish smirk, a familiar glint in Theo’s eyes. Liam was reminded of when Theo was still under the Dread Doctors’ control, his eyes screaming dangerous while the rest of his body remained unreadable. The older boy unfolded his arms, stepping forward.

 

“Trust me Liam... when I put on a show, you’ll know it.” The words were accompanied by a wink that made Liam’s throat run dry. He was left like a fish out of water, brain frantically trying to generate a reply. He finally formulated one, but as he was opening his mouth to speak a twig snapped nearby. Theo’s smirk instantly dropped, and he spun Liam around, crowding him against the tree. Liam flinched as the rough bark scraped his back, trying to stay as still as possible. When Theo leaned closer to whisper in his ear, Liam’s brain nearly melted.

 

“I thought I smelt another wolf earlier, at the top of the cliff, but I figured my senses were off from the nightmare.” Liam nodded, becoming _painfully_ aware of how close they were. His hands had gotten trapped against the older boy’s chest from where he had raised them to speak, and Theo was basically shielding Liam from everything else. The realization that Theo was using himself as a human shield for Liam caused a growl to rumble up from the depths of the beta’s throat. The chimera had looked at Liam when he growled, but his attention was quickly grabbed by a loud crash from camp. Theo looked around the area, his eyes calculating and colder than usual.

 

“You check out the camp, I’ll find whatever I can here. Meet me at the truck in 25 minutes.” Liam didn’t think twice, simply nodding at the order from Theo and taking a deep breath when Theo stepped back. He scrambled away to run back to camp.

 

He had finally made it to the outskirts of their small camp, just needing to pass one or two more trees, when a deep growl stopped him in his tracks. He was praying it was Theo, but realistically he knew Theo’s different growls, and that wasn’t a single one of them. The beta spun around quickly, seeing a brown wolf with one white paw snarling at him. The wolf was huge, coming up almost to Liam’s shoulders. The wolf that had chased him and Mason through the school had been big, but not quite as tall as this one. Liam scrambled backwards when the wolf advanced, glowing blue eyes fixed on Liam. The beta knew that a regular werewolf faced no chance against a full shift wolf. They were faster, more athletic, and all around more dangerous. Tripping over a root he failed to notice, Liam scooted backwards until his back hit a tree. Maybe if Theo were here, the two of them could take this wolf, but he was alone and Theo was still down at the river. Liam tried flashing his golden eyes. If the wolf knew he was a werewolf too, it wouldn’t hurt him. Liam knew this was wishful thinking when the other werewolf only snarled louder, lips curled up menacingly as his eyes glowed a brighter blue. Liam felt a sense of dread wash over him when Monroe stepped into the clearing. She glared at Liam, walking right up the brown wolf and patting its back.

 

“Well Liam, let’s hope you will be significantly easier to kill then your alpha.” She narrowed her eyes at the confused look on the young boy’s face. “No need to play dumb Liam, all of the hunters knew your little chimera boyfriend was an alpha. But no one had been successful at killing him until now.” Liam felt his blood run cold. That explained the orange eyes, how Liam no longer wanted to fight every order Theo gave... among other things. Monroe’s words made him livid. There was no way she killed Theo. He wouldn’t let that happen. The chimera had a survival instinct the size of Texas, so if he saw danger he would know better than to stick his nose into it. Then again, Theo had been safe at home. Yes he had nightmares, bad ones, but Liam had brought him out here. If Theo really was dead, then his blood was on Liam’s hands. The beta let out a growl, earning an answering snarl from the wolf he momentarily forgot was in front of him.

 

Liam had closed his eyes, accepting his fate, when a louder, deeper growl ripped through the small clearing. The young beta’s eyes snapped open, seeing a large black wolf with patches of brown fur step into the clearing. He recognized it as this same wolf that chased him through the school. Liam had two thoughts going through his mind at that time: 1) great, now he was going to get mauled by two wolves. And 2) that maybe the werewolf had stepped into the black wolf’s territory and they would fight, giving him time to slip away and deal with Monroe.

 

Both thoughts were quickly stopped when the larger brown wolf simply looked over at the new wolf before continuing his advance on Liam. He was only a few feet away now, but paused mid step when a vicious snarl ripped through the clearing. Within a few seconds, the black wolf was standing between Liam and the blue-eyed werewolf. The beta could have sworn he caught a flash of orange, but all he could see now was the black wolf towering in front of him, hackles raised. If Liam had to guess, he would put the black wolf right at 4 foot, the brown one being only a few inches taller. The other werewolf snarled again, tensing his muscles. It seemed the wolf would do anything in his power to get to Liam. The black wolf tensed in turn, taking the time to glance back at Liam. The beta was met with startlingly familiar green eyes staring at him. He couldn’t place where he had seen the eyes before, but he figured it was from when the wolf chased them through the school. Liam took a second to study the wolf, taking note of the old scars on the black wolf. He had something that looked strangely like fingerprints on one of his front legs, a wicked looking scar on his chest, and a few other scars here and there across his coat.

 

The brown wolf took the lapse in the black wolf’s attention as an opportunity, snarling once more before launching himself at the wolf. The black wolf looked like it wanted to dodge the attack, but instead turned himself sideways, letting the brown wolf hit him with its full body mass. It sent both wolves tumbling. Liam couldn’t even track their movement, seeing a whirling mass of claws, teeth, fur, and blood. The beta did notice the way Monroe raised her crossbow however, taking her attention off of Liam to level it at the two wolves. They had separated, both with bite marks and claw wounds. Monroe moved her finger to the trigger as the black wolf prepared to throw himself back into the fight. She didn’t seem to notice Liam moving quickly, slamming his shoulder into her’s. The bolt embedded itself into her foot, drawing a scream from her. Liam grabbed her cross bow, snapping it in half. He paused to look back at the wolves, catching a glimpse of green eyes when the black wolf growled at him from where he had the brown wolf pinned.

 

Liam ran in the direction of the truck, ignoring the yelps and growls that made him want to run back and help in any way he could. He had finally reached the truck, seeing no sign that Theo had been there except for a smear of blood along the side of the truck that hadn’t been there before. Other tire tracks were driving away from Theo’s vehicle.

 

The beta smelled the area, the scent of Theo, Theo’s blood, and two strange scents hitting his nose. Liam gasped as realization hit him. Monroe hadn’t killed Theo, she had taken him. A loud yelp ripped through the silence, followed by a blood chilling howl. Theo had the truck keys, so Liam simply broke the window and grabbed his phone and Theo’s hoodie that the beta left in the truck last night. He started to leave, but the sight of theo’s phone laying on the ground next to his truck made him pause. He picked it up and ran back towards his house, but stopped in the driveway. What if Monroe came here next. He turned, heading for the direction of Derek’s loft. He had only been there once, but he remembered how to get there.

 

Liam would have went to Scott’s house, but he and Malia had went to visit Derek, trying to get information on Monroe. By the time Liam reached Derek’s, he felt the need to break something. He let Monroe distract him while her goons took Theo. He didn’t bother knocking, simply tore the lock off of the door and walked in. He realized his error when a shotgun was leveled at him curtesy of Chris Argent, and all the wolves were looking in the direction of the door with their claws out. Scott was the first one to speak, his claws retracting as he looked at the beta with concern.

 

“Liam? What are you doing he-“ He didn’t get to finish, Liam already interrupting him by throwing Theo’s phone down on the table.

 

“Monroe took Theo. We need to get him back.” Liam paced the room as the pack looked at each other, Stiles picking up Theo’s phone.

 

“Um Liam... are you sure she took him?” Stiles said, his eyes still fixed on the phone. He motioned for Scott’s, who turned it on and handed it to Stiles.

 

“What are you talking about? There was blood, Theo’s blood, and tire tracks. There’s no way she didn’t take him.” Liam was getting angrier by the second, and Malia seemed to take notice.

 

“Uh Stiles, I don’t think-“ She started, being interrupted by Stiles.

 

“Well there’s a missed call to Scott and a text message.” Liam glared at Scott, who held his hands up in the air.

 

“What does it say Stiles?” Derek hadn’t spoken until then, causing Stiles to glance at him before reading the text out loud.

 

“It says: Come get Liam before he gets hurt, Monroe is here.” Liam growled, advancing on Stiles. He had simply been going for the phone, but Derek was standing between them before Liam got two steps.

 

“Just give me the phone Stiles.” Liam felt his anger slip away as soon as the phone was in his hands, only to return again a second later when the text read exactly as Stiles stated.

 

Scott spoke up once again. “Liam, did you see Monroe?” At Liam’s nod, he continued again. “Ok, well there’s a chance that she’s still there...” He paused once again before continuing. “We might be able to find Theo too.” Liam was already heading for the door before he finished his sentence, throwing it open and looking at them expectantly. They hurried to follow, the five of them piling into the two cars. Liam rode with Malia and Scott in Melissa’s car, while Derek, Argent and Stiles rode in Roscoe. Liam gave Scott directions to where the truck was parked.

 

Something glinting in the sunlight caught Liam’s eye, and he jumped out of the car before it was even fully stopped. He was hoping Theo left some clue as to where he went, even though Liam knew it was ridiculous. He felt that hope drain when he picked up Theo’s car keys, gripping them so hard that the metal bit into his hand, causing small droplets of blood to hit the ground. Scott was behind Liam before he noticed the older boy had moved, and his hand came to rest on Liam’s shoulder. The beta turned his head to look up at Scott, the alpha squatting down to be on the same level as Liam.

 

“Can you tell us what happened Liam?” The beta nodded, taking a deep breath before recounting what had happened since his parents left. The pack shared glances with each other as his story progressed, but by the end Malia’s brow had creased further and further. Liam took a deep breath when he finished, struggling to swallow around the lump in his throat.

 

“Liam, what did the other wolf look like? The one that didn’t attack you. Can you be specific?” Liam offered the werecoyote a confused look but described the way the wolf had black fur, brown patches mixed in. He explained the scars, and the green eyes that felt so familiar. Malia closed her eyes briefly before looking around.

 

“Show me the clearing.” Liam agreed, and they left Chris behind at the cars. As they walked, Liam heard Malia speaking to Scott, but even with his enhanced senses he couldn’t make out what she was saying. He did hear the way that Scott swore quietly, picking up the pace. When they reached the clearing, Liam could see blood covering the ground, and the bloodied crossbow bolt laying next to where Monroe had been. The smell of blood was overwhelming for Liam, and he turned away. He walked to the entrance of the clearing, looking in the direction of the river. While the others were distracted with looking for signs of where Monroe went, Liam headed off in to the river.

 

As hard as he looked, he couldn’t find any sign of Theo’s presence other than their intermingled scent near the tree, and the spot where he had been sitting. There was no blood visible, and the smell of Theo’s blood wasn’t lingering in the air. He let out another sigh and headed for their shared camp.

 

He let out a low growl when he found it destroyed, their tent ripped down and food scattered across the ground. Thankfully, their small duffel bags were still intact, and Liam grabbed those. The beta saw an arrow stuck low into a tree, and he walked closer. He pulled it free, unable to recognize who’s arrow it was. Blood was smeared along the arrow tip, and Liam had the urge to curl away when the smell hit him. Suppressing the urge, Liam recognized the smell as Theo’s blood.

 

Scott ran into the campsite, calling Liam’s name. He dropped the arrow, turning to face the alpha. Scott glanced at him curiously, but started talking.

 

“We found Theo, but-“ he wasn’t able to finish, Liam running off in the direction Scott came from. He followed Scott’s scent trail to where the other three were standing. Malia and Derek grabbed Liam when he rushed towards the mouth of the small cave. Liam smelled Malia’s blood right as Stiles stepped in front of him to block his view into the cave. Scott came up behind Liam and when Malia and Derek released him, he spun to face the alpha.

 

“Why won’t they let me see him?” Liam’s words came out more of a growl than actual words, and Scott’s mouth narrowed into a line.

 

“Liam, I need to talk to you first.” Liam turned to face Malia when she spoke, glaring at her before nodding slowly. She grabbed his arm, using more force than necessary to pull him a few feet away. She stopped, turning Liam to face her as she spoke

 

“Look Liam, Theo isn’t himself right now. I tried to go into the cave and he attacked me.” She lifted her shirt, showing Liam the bite mark in her side, which was healing slower than it was supposed to. Liam frowned at the bite. It looked different than usual, even with fangs, the human bite pattern was way different. He wasn’t able to finish his thought, Malia continuing to speak. “Liam, Theo is fully shifted right now, and a hurt wolf is dangerous. Plus he’s part coyote, which makes him even more dangerous when mad or injured. You go in there and he’ll rip you apart.”

 

Liam tried to escape Malia’s grasp, turning to go back to the cave when Malia growled at him, shoving him backwards and away from the cave.

 

“You can’t go in there Liam, he’ll hurt you.” Liam growled at her, glaring up from his spot on the ground. Liam suddenly stilled, the growl dying off in his throat. What if-

 

“Is Theo the black wolf?” Malia didn’t even bother to look guilty. She simply nodded, speaking again while Liam’s brain struggled to process. He didn’t even know Theo could full shift, let alone that he had been the one who chased Liam through the school and faced down Monroe’s pet.

 

“Scott said not to tell you because he didn’t know how you would react.” Liam looked up at her, then looked over at the cave.

 

“I _left_ him. He saved my life and I left him there.” Malia shook her head and opened her mouth to reply when Liam scrambled up, already at the entrance to the small cave before any of them stopped him.

 

Scott went to grab him, but Derek grabbed the alpha’s arm. He whispered something to Scott as Liam disappeared into the cave, his eyes struggling to adjust to the dark.

 

A low growl came from inside the cave, a pair of glowing orange eyes piercing through the darkness. Liam walked closed cautiously, calling Theo’s name. He didn’t even have time to register movement before Theo was on top of him, growling in his face. The weight of Theo’s wolf form caused all the air to leave Liam’s lungs. He could fell claws prick his arms, but he didn’t make any more to get the older boy off of him. Liam wasn’t sure what to do, so he simply let his wolf take over. Liam’s eyes were glowing as his head turned to the side, exposing his neck to the chimera.

 

It seemed to be the right thing to do, because the weight left him as Theo scented the air. Looking into the wolf’s eyes, Liam couldn’t really see anything that even remotely reminded him of Theo. The wild, animalistic look in his eyes was closer to an actual wolf than a human. Scott’s voice could be heard at the mouth of the cave, causing Theo to let out a menacing growl. He called out to let Scott know he was ok as Theo shoved him with his head, making the beta scoot further back into the cave. When Liam’s back hit the rock wall, the wolf seemed content. He lay down in front of Liam, letting out a small whine of pain as he did so.

 

Liam fished around in the hoodie pocket for his phone, flicking on the flashlight app. He let out a gasp when the wolf came into light. He forgot how huge the animal was, and the blood matting the wolf’s coat made Liam’s chest ache. He reached out a tentative hand to touch the wolf’s coat, not expecting it to be as soft as it was. Liam avoided all of the spots where the blood seemed to be occupying the most. When he moved to stand up, Theo let out a low growl. Liam lowered himself back down, looking around the small cave.

 

“Theo, we need to go home. You can’t heal when you’re in a dark, nasty cave.” The wolf glanced up at him, almost seeming to frown before he stood up slowly, letting out a small grunt of pain. He limped towards the entrance, Liam getting up and following slowly.

 

The walk back to the car took much longer than it would have normally, with Theo growling anytime someone came close to Liam, and the beta slowing down so that Theo could walk without to much pain. Liam went to open the door to Melissa’s car, but Theo growled at him, grabbing Liam’s wrist gently in his teeth and pulling him towards the truck. Derek sighed, offering to drive them back in Theo’s truck. Scott also offered, but Theo let out a menacing growl when the alpha stepped closer to Liam. Derek explained to a frustrated Scott and blushing Liam that since Liam was an unmated beta, the presence of another alpha would be seen as competition.

 

“Wait you _knew_ Theo was an alpha? Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Liam’s words came out in a frustrated huff. He was planning on waiting until later to tell the pack what Monroe said, so that Theo would be healed in the event that Scott reacted negatively.

 

“We thought you knew. And we thought Theo knew as well.” Scott’s words caused an annoyed huff to come from the wolf sitting at Liam’s feet, mouth still clamped around Liam’s wrist like he feared the beta would run.

 

“Whatever, we can talk about it later. We need to get Theo somewhere so that Deaton can make sure he’s ok.” The pack members present nodded, Scott walking off to join Malia in his mother’s car as Derek, Liam, and wolf Theo pilled into the truck. As they drove, a thought came to Liam’s head.

 

“Why isn’t Theo growling at you? Is it just ‘cause you aren’t an alpha?” Derek shook his head at Liam’s question, glancing into the backseat to look at Theo, small amounts of blood staining his fur and the truck seat.

 

“No. If it were Malia or Corey he would act the same way.” Derek glanced at Liam, who was sitting in the passenger seat, before fixing his eyes back on the road.

 

“Oh. Is it because of Stiles?” Derek nodded.

 

“Yes. Theo can smell Stiles scent on me, so he knows I’m not going to take you from him.” Derek’s words were accompanied by a huff from the backseat, causing Liam to turn around. He watched the wolf shuffle around in the backseat, seeming to switch between glaring at the blood on his seats and glaring at the two werewolves in the front. They were only in silence for a few seconds before Liam had another question.

 

“Hey Derek?” When he received a grunt in reply, he continued talking. “Why isn’t Theo shifting back?” Derek simply shrugged.

 

“Maybe because he heals faster fully shifted. Who knows, I’m not a chimera.” Liam made a small humming noise, watching the trees go by in a blur. The truck finally stopped in Liam’s driveway, the beta letting out a relieved sigh when his dad’s car was absent. He opened the door to the backseat and Theo jumped out, grunting as he landed and limping to the front door. As soon as Theo got upstairs, he headed for his room and clawed at the closed door. Liam opened it for him, and the wolf walked inside, laying down on the rug next to the bed. Liam could hear voices downstairs, but when he turned to leave the room, the wolf growled at him. Theo stepped between Liam and the door, sniffing the air twice before forcing Liam to walk backwards.

 

The door handle turned and Theo’s hackles raised. When the door swung open to reveal Scott and Deaton, Theo let out another deep growl. Liam shook his head at Scott, who backed out of sight. Theo’s growling died down to a small rumble and Deaton walked in. Liam heard the sound of Scott heading downstairs and Theo’s growling ceased.

 

“Hello Liam, do you mind telling me what happened to your friend Theo here?” Liam nodded, explaining that Theo had gotten into a fight with another werewolf thanks to Monroe. Dr. Deaton nodded along, pulling a few things out of his bag. Finally he looked at Liam.

 

“Normally, I would ask you to leave the room. But I don’t believe Theo here would allow that.” The wolf growled slightly in response, narrowing his eyes at Liam.

 

25 minutes later and Deaton left the room, Theo attempting to shake off the bandages and stitches he was given. Liam turned to the wolf, then looked at the door.

 

“Theo, I need to ask Dr. Deaton a question. Can I leave for a second? I’ll come right back I promise.” Liam felt kind of ridiculous, making promises to a wolf, but when Theo huffed and laid his head on his large paws, Liam took it as a yes. He rushed downstairs, wanting to catch Deaton before he left. He caught the veterinarian right as he was climbing into his car.

 

“Dr. Deaton sir, I have a question.” The druid offered him an amused look but nodded, closing the car door and leaning against it.

 

“When will Theo shift back? And why does Theo have scars in his full shift form, but not his normal one? And why did Theo get so mad at Scott?” Liam knew the last one had something to do with him being a beta, but he got the feeling Derek wasn’t telling him everything. Deaton began answering Liam’s questions, offering him a small smile.

 

“The chimera should shift back some time tomorrow. And I’m not entirely sure about the answer to your second question. Some wolves have the ability to mask scars on their human forms, but when they grow closer to the wolf side of themselves, or what some Druids refer to as their true selves, they become harder to hide. It takes a very long time to master this, I don’t even think Derek can. As for your final question, I believe the only one who can answer that is Theo. Keep Theo off that broken paw until it heals.” He offered no other answers, instead getting into his car and driving off. Liam was left feeling more confused than ever regarding his last question, but at least he knew Theo would be back to normal tomorrow.

 

When he walked back into the house, the pack announced they would be heading home. Liam nodded, giving everyone but Derek a hug and thanking them. He would have given the grumpy werewolf a hug, but settled for a nod as he and Stiles left. The hug served to be the worst idea Liam had come up with in a while, because as soon as he was back into the room Theo’s head shot up. He let out a growl and tackled Liam, snarling in his face. The wolf rubbed his side along the door before walking back to his spot on the rug. For some unknown reason, Liam was left feeling guilty.

 

“Theo you’re supposed to stay off the broken paw.” When Liam received no reply from the wolf, he walked over and grabbed a book from Theo’s desk. He sat down beside the wolf.

 

As he read, he ran his fingers through the silky fur, not even seeming to notice he was doing so. Soon, both the wolf and the boy were asleep, Theo’s head resting on his paws as Liam’s head leaned back against the bed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof this chapter was basically nothing but angst. Sorry about that... but my friend made some amazing art of the fight scene between the werewolf working for Monroe and Theo. So as soon as the link works I’ll put it in the next chapter!
> 
> Lemme know what you think, as well as any plot holes or errors you find!


	11. Chapter 11

 

When Liam woke up, it was to the sharp sound of a phone call. He realized almost instantly that his hand was no longer buried in soft fur, but instead resting on the firm chest of a _very naked_ Theo. The older boy had his arms crossed behind his head, and Liam didn’t have the courage to look downwards to see what the chimera was doing with his legs. Liam took a moment to admire the way the muscles in Theo’s upper arms flexed from the angle they were resting in, but quickly snapped himself out of the daze. The beta wasn’t sure if he should risk moving and waking up the older boy, or simply stay still to allow Theo to get more rest. He remembered the phone still ringing at his side and fumbled around to answer it. He kept his voice low, slowly withdrawing his hand. The beta winced when his mother’s loud, chipper voice broke the silence. 

 

“Morning sweetiepie, I hope I didn’t wake you up! I just wanted to call and let you know that David and I will be home in a few hours.” Liam smiled at his mother’s relaxed tone, but still kept his voice low when he answered. 

 

“I thought you and dad were staying until Tuesday? It’s only Monday.” Liam glanced at the clock, taken aback by the 10:37 a.m. shining brightly from beside Theo’s bed. 

 

“Well, since you have the day off of school, we figured we could come home early and spend some time with you and Theo.” Liam heard his mother’s heart skyrocket with her lie, but rather than call her out on it he simply made a small noise of agreement. 

 

“Sounds good. I’ll call you later Mom.” Theo’s eyes had blinked open as Liam finished the conversation with his mother, and he was watching the beta with curiosity painted over his features. Liam didn’t notice his gaze until after he hung up, and when their eyes met Theo heard his heartrate increase slightly. 

 

“Uh. Hey T, are you feeling better?” Liam’s voice broke over the nickname he used for the older boy, but Theo didn’t comment on it. Instead, the chimera simply shrugged his broad shoulders and leaned his head back against the rug once again. Not satisfied with his answer, Liam reached out a hand and poked Theo’s rib gently. The older boy let out a low growl and Liam pulled his hand away before Theo could break any of his fingers. 

 

“Alright maybe my ribs are still healing, but I still have to go to work. I’ve missed way too many days this month.” Liam simply stared in shock at Theo’s words, but when the older boy moved to stand up he shook his head and pushed gently on his shoulders until Theo was resting against the floor once again. 

 

“No way T. You need to give your body time to heal.” Liam’s words roused a scowl from Theo, who shoved against Liam’s grip once again before going still when he moved his ankle to the left. 

 

“I’m fine, I’ve had worse.” Liam shook his head again, earning a glare from Theo. Liam could tell the chimera was closing off most of his emotions, but he decided not to bring it to attention. When Theo tried to get up again, Liam could feel his anger rising. 

 

“Damnit Theo, why won’t you let anyone help you?” Theo looked surprised at Liam’s outburst, but he settled back against he floorboards. Liam averted his eyes, grabbing a pillow and setting it against the framework of the bed. This time, when Theo tried to move, Liam helped the chimera maneuver into a comfortable sitting position. The wince Theo tried to hide induced a feeling of guilt in Liam, but as he opened his mouth to apologize for leaving the older boy in the woods, Theo cut him off with a stern look. 

 

“Don’t.” Liam rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in surrender. 

 

“I didn’t even say anything!” 

 

“Yeah but you smelled apologetic. So don’t.” Liam let out a sigh, turning away to crawl a few feet away and start up the gaming console. 

 

“But I left you there Theo…” The older boy shook his head, latching his hand around the beta’s wrist when he came close enough. Liam had begun to get worked up, but Theo’s firm grip on his wrist calmed him slightly. 

 

“And you came back. Even when you didn’t know that wolf was me, you still came back.” Liam met Theo’s eyes, and the two didn’t break eye contact until a loud beeping came from the game’s loading screen. Liam blushed when he realized his proximity to the chimera’s face, and he leaned back to hand the older boy a controller. The small smile never fell from Theo’s face, only growing and then morphing into a grin when Liam grew angry about losing. 

 

“You grew up in a sewer, how in the hell are you this good at shooting zombies?” Theo let out a quiet laugh at Liam’s words, purposefully shooting Liam’s character rather than the zombies nearby. Liam let out a growl at the guilty “oops” from Theo. When the chimera did it a second time, Liam let out another growl and tossed his controller to the ground. He spun around and tackled Theo, the two teens play fighting until Theo’s mostly healed ribs started protesting. Liam straddled Theo, breathing heavily. He placed a hand over the right side of Theo’s ribcage, slowly taking the pain. The older boy stared up in fascination at the concentration written on Liam’s face. When Liam opened his eyes again, he found Theo’s eyes already locked on his own. 

 

For the second time today, the two teens seemed to be entranced by the other’s eyes, the spell only being broken by a loud explosion from the game. Liam cleared his throat and climbed off of Theo, helping the older boy to sit back up. Theo’s stomach let out a loud growl, drawing a laugh from Liam. The beta stood up, turning to speak to Theo. 

 

“I’m going to make lunch. Anything special to drink?” When Theo shook his head, asking only for water, Liam left the room. When the beta finished making the two sandwiches and grabbing two bottles of water, he returned to Theo staring at his phone with a frown. The younger boy set the food down in front of him, passing Theo a bottle of water. The frown never left the older boy’s eyes, even when he offered Liam a clearly fake smile and a mumbled thanks. 

 

“What’s wrong T?” Theo shook his head, taking a sip of water before answering with a frown. 

 

“My boss fired me.” Liam glanced at Theo with confusion. 

 

“That’s kind of a good thing though, right? I mean you hated that job, and she never wanted to give you a promotion.” Theo let out a deep sigh, nodding slightly at Liam’s words. 

 

“I guess having a job made me feel like I was doing something with my life for once, rather than ruining other people’s.” Theo shrugged when he finished speaking, and Liam offered him a sad look. 

 

“Don't worry too much about it T, you can find another job.” Theo let out a sigh, giving Liam a small smile and nodding. 

 

“It doesn’t really matter. What’s the plan for today Littlewolf?” Liam rolled his eyes at the nickname, but told Theo about the call from his mom. 

 

“Why do you think she lied?” Theo asked, causing Liam to shrug his shoulders in reply. 

 

“Who knows, but we’ll probably go see a movie or something.” Theo seemed content with that answer, powering on the game to beat Liam in another round of zombie killing while they ate lunch.

 

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Liam turned out to be wrong about the movie, since Jenna insisted on dragging the boys shopping. She forced them into trying on clothes, insisting that Theo needed a wardrobe consisting of more than one old jacket and a few shirts. Liam was also forced to buy some new clothes, since his mother disapproved of all the rips in his current outfits. Theo restrained a laugh when she began complaining about the shirt Liam had worn at the zoo, but had ducked behind a rack of t-shirts when Jenna turned to glare his way. The woman may have been small, but her fiery nature managed to scare even Theo. Everything Jenna selected for the boys somehow looked exactly how she proclaimed it would, causing Liam to declare that she somehow gained magical clothing powers. 

 

When it finally came time to pay for everything, Theo cringed back from the register, not even wanting to _think_ about the price of all the clothing he was carrying, let alone how far it would put him in debt. Jenna simply snatched the massive pile of clothing from Theo, placing it on the counter next to the piles belonging to Liam and herself and swiping the card she dug out of her purse. 

 

Theo suddenly felt overwhelmed, and he began to feel his control slipping. Liam noticed his accelerated heartbeat, informing Jenna that he and Theo would go get the car to pick her up. She reluctantly agreed, and Liam latched onto Theo’s elbow. As soon as they were out of the building, Theo snatched his elbow out of Liam’s grip and walked to the side of the store in large strides. When the confused beta finally caught up, he found Theo leaning against the brick wall, eyes closed. 

 

“Theo? What’s wrong?” After hearing Liam’s voice, Theo took a deep breath and his claws receded back into his nail beds. 

 

“She shouldn’t have done that. Those clothes were so expensive.” Liam shook his head, locking eyes with Theo. 

 

“It’s really not a big deal T. Besides, if we don’t rip anymore shirts in fights or continue getting shot then those clothes will last a long time. Or at least until you gain even more muscle and grow out of them.” Theo let out a quiet, short laugh at the last sentence Liam said, but his scent quickly turned from amused to serious and slightly distressed. 

 

“But your family already put a roof over my head. You gave me food, a bed, and so much more. I can’t ask you to pay for my clothes too.” Liam shook his head, giving Theo a small smile. 

 

“That’s just what you do for the people you love T.” Liam’s eyes widened slightly when he realized his words, and he turned away quickly. Liam was at the truck before Theo even processed what he said, but the chimera ignored his hasty retreat. As soon as Theo climbed into the driver’s side of the truck and pulled up the entrance of the store, Jenna walked out carrying three bags. She tossed the bags into the backseat, climbing in afterwards. She instantly directed Theo to a nearby coffee shop, and insisted Liam go in and bring her a mocha. The werewolf was about to comply when Theo jumped out of the truck, tossing the keys to Liam before either member of the Dunbar-Geyer family could protest. 

 

When Theo emerged ten minutes later, he was carrying two coffee cups and an iced tea. He passed the caramel mocha to Jenna in the backseat, keeping the black coffee for himself and handing the iced tea with two extra sugars to Liam. The beta offered him a grateful nod and Jenna leaned forward to plant a kiss on the chimera’s cheek. Dr. Geyer greeted them upon their arrival, helping Jenna put away the clothes she bought. Liam and Theo each took turns showering to get rid of the mixed scent of strange clothes and random people, settling their restless wolves. 

 

Dinner passed quickly, with Theo volunteering to do the dishes afterwards. He mostly attempted to avoid falling asleep, but around midnight he could no longer force himself to continue watching show re-runs. The chimera slept more soundly than usual, only waking up once from a nightmare.

 

Liam was awoken early by Theo’s annoyed voice. The older boy was anything but a morning person, and he never hesitated to show it. Liam had once received a broken nose just for attempting to speak to Theo one morning before the supernatural teen had his coffee. Theo dropped Liam off at School earlier than usual, deciding to search for a job until it was time to pick the beta up. 

 

His search ended without any promising results, but the coffee shop Jenna had insisted on stopping at the day before had an opening. Theo was considering calling to inquire about the position when the alarm on his phone went off, signaling that it was time to pick Liam up from school. The beta had lacrosse practice, so the school grounds were mostly deserted. 

 

After thirty minutes passed and Liam still hadn’t emerged from the school, Theo let out a bored huff and walking towards the entrance. He listened out for Liam, hearing a loud conversation coming from the locker room. His pace picked up when he heard the taunting voice of one of the other lacrosse players.

 

“C’mon Dunbar, maybe you should roar for your little freak boyfriend.” Theo almost let out a growl but froze outside the door when Liam’s voice floated out towards him. The beta’s words were whispered, low enough for Theo to be the only one to hear them. The chimera could hear Liam chanting the calming phrase of Satomi’s pack, but the mumbling cut off when he heard the older boy’s footsteps. Theo zoned into the words Liam spoke for his ears only, the whispered plea of “Theo _don’t_ ” was followed by the annoying voice of the lacrosse player speaking once again.

 

“What were you saying Liam? Maybe you should speak up.” Liam’s eyes flickered to the door, but he cleared his throat and spoke loud enough for the humans to hear.

 

“I said, go fuck yourself Devon.” Liam relished in the small laugh from Theo, but then Devon’s voice was cutting through again.

 

“That’s not very nice Wolf Boy, didn’t your dad ever teach you any manners.” Theo knew the boy hit a nerve when a low growl resounded from Liam. The werewolf’s heartbeat increased like it always did before his IED clawed its way to the surface. Theo repressed the urge to wince when Devon continued talking. “Oh, that’s right, he left because you’re a faggot. And an insane one at that.” A much louder growl left Liam, and Theo smelled the shift in Liam’s chemosignals seconds before the beta let out a snarl and launched himself at Devon. The younger boy’s scent always turned slightly sour before his IED took over. Theo opened the door just enough to look inside and forced himself not to react when Devon side-stepped Liam, slamming his fist into the beta’s face. Liam’s fighting always took a turn for the worse when his IED was involved. He was less calculating, and just threw himself into the fray rather than attempt to fight well.

 

When two other team members stepped forward to pin Liam to the lockers once again, Devon reared his fist back to hit the beta a second time. Theo had heard from Mason how badly Gabe and Nolan had beaten Liam last time, and that wasn’t happening while he was around. Liam would probably be pissed about it later, but Theo honestly could care less, and nothing changed his mind once it was made up. Well, almost nothing. The older boy was behind Devon in a second, claws resting heavily against the human’s throat. The chimera grinned at the sharp intake of breath from the other members of the team, Liam included.

 

“I don’t recommend that, I think you’ve done enough already. And I just got this shirt, so I really don’t want to get blood all over it.” Theo had the urge to recoil from the stench of days old alcohol and terrible cologne that assaulted his senses, but he kept himself still. Theo let out a low growl when the human spoke again, his words slightly choppy as Theo’s claws dug into his throat.

 

“See Liam, I knew you would need your freak of a boyfriend to save you.” Liam’s eyes were glowing, and Theo could hear the quiet dripping of blood hitting the floor from where his claws dug into his palms. The chimera turned glowing eyes on every person in the room, letting out a menacing growl.

 

“Get. Out.” They all flinched at Theo’s order, but when no one moved Theo let out a louder growl and dug his claws deeper into Devon’s neck. That sent everyone scrambling to grab their gear and leave. Everyone but the two players holding down Liam and the boy trapped under Theo’s claws fled the scene, avoiding eye contact with the five in the middle of the room. “Let him up.” The two holding Liam backed away slowly, their hands held up in surrender as they avoided turning their backs to Theo. The older boy shoved Devon towards the door, wiping the small amount of blood from his claws. As Liam rose from his forced spot on the floor, his eyes were glowing a bright gold, the beta almost fully shifted. As Devon scrambled for the door, Theo reached out and shoved his back, sending the boy face-first into the lockers. He let out a yelp of pain, holding his bleeding nose as he ran from the locker room with his metaphorical tail between his legs. As soon as they were gone, Liam threw his arms up into the air and let out a low growl.

 

“I was handling it! Why did you have to get involved?” Theo narrowed his eyes at him, pointing at the droplets of the blood on the floor where Liam had been forced against the lockers.

 

“You could have killed them. I was just helping.” Theo’s words came out with a slight growl to them, but he caught himself and finished speaking normally.

 

“Oh, so you threatening to rip his throat out was so much better.” Liam said, his glowing eyes fixed on Theo. 

 

Theo took a deep breath, forcing his heartrate to calm and his breathing to even out. The older boy knew that getting worked up and angry wouldn’t help Liam’s situation. The werewolf was pacing the room, and it took a majority of Theo’s willpower not to snap at him for it.

 

“Liam, you need to calm down.” His words seemed to do the opposite of appease the still-pacing Liam, who turned on his heel and stomped over to Theo.

 

“Damnit Theo! Would you just leave me alone? You’ve done enough.” Theo suppressed the urge to yell back or shove Liam away from him. The beta was positively fuming, his eyes flickering between gold and blue.

 

“I’m just trying to help Liam.” That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, because Liam reached out and shoved the older boy’s shoulders. Theo’s back hit the lockers with a thud, and he forced down the growl that threatened to rise from his throat.

 

“Maybe I don’t want your help! Maybe I just want you to leave me alone.” Liam was growling now, his eyes glowing a bright golden color as he glared at the chimera. Theo bit back a retort, shutting his eyes to gain control of the itch to shift. Before Theo could reply, Liam was continuing.

 

“Why did you even stay in Beacon Hills? It’s not like Scott’s pack would ever accept you. Not after everything you did.” Liam reeked of anger, the air fermented in the smell of a raging fire. The scent mixed with that of his IED, which for some strange reason smelled like burning rubber.

 

“Where would I go? It’s not like I have any remaining family to live with.” Theo’s voice was cold and flat, zero emotion shining through the mask of indifference he wore so well.

 

“And who’s fault is that Theo?” His words caused a small growl to scratch at the back of Theo’s throat, but the older boy forced it down right as Liam started speaking again. “Besides, I don’t know, where do murderers and liars typically live? Maybe I should have left you in hell.” Liam sneered, his glowing eyes narrowing at Theo. 

 

The chimera already knew he did too many awful things to be forgiven, they hung over him like a shadow, the blood staining his hands a crimson that would never be washed away. But hearing it spit at him, hearing someone so pure in Theo’s eyes tell him, that nearly broke the chimera. Theo felt anger flickering inside of him, like the flames of a campfire licking the night air. He let the anger build, using the pent up rage to send Liam stumbling back into the lockers again.

 

“Maybe you fucking should have. Then I wouldn’t have to keep saving your pathetic ass.” Liam only snarled in response, pushing himself off of the lockers and standing directly in front of Theo. 

 

“You didn’t have to, you were just sucking up to Scott so he wouldn’t find a way to send your broken, evil ass back to hell.” Theo felt the anger inside of him sizzle out like Liam’s words were a bucket of water poured over his inner fire. 

 

“Maybe you’re right, or maybe I actually fucking _cared_.” Theo words came out with a slight growl to them, but mostly he just sounded tired. 

 

“As if you could care about anyone but _yourself,_ Theo. You should just leave.” Theo scoffed, shoving Liam once again and turning on his heel. As the chimera quietly left the locker room, Liam grabbed a clean set of clothes and turned on the shower roughly. The water burned his skin, leaving behind angry red marks that faded almost as soon as they appeared. The burn helped calm the buzzing in Liam’s mind, but left him feeling hollow and empty once it left. Liam hadn’t had an episode in almost a week, Theo seemed to have been helping. 

 

“Oh god, Theo… What the hell was I thinking.” Liam turned the shower off quickly, drying off and dressing as speedily as possible. He called Theo’s phone several times as he ran towards home, but Theo never picked up. 

 

“Oh shit, what if he left town already. I could be too late. What the fuck is wrong with me?” Liam realized how insane he must look, running down the street talking to himself in jeans and a ripped t-shirt, but he mostly felt panicked. Usually, his episodes would leave him feeling empty and guilty, like someone had taken over and made room for themselves inside his brain. He always felt hollow afterward, but now he just felt anxious. 

 

When Liam finally stumbled through the door to Theo’s room, he was met with the sight of Theo shoving the small amount of clothes he owned in a duffle bag, only pausing to growl at Liam.

 

 “Get out.” Liam shook his head at Theo’s growled order. He looked in disbelief around the room. The only thing Theo was taking besides clothes was the book Liam had given him on Greek and Roman culture.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” Theo paused to look up at Liam when the beta spoke, meeting his eyes for the first time since the werewolf arrived. They looked empty save for the anger flickering deep within the orange depths.

 

“You wanted me to leave, so I’m leaving. There’s nothing for me in Beacon Hills.” Theo’s cold words struck a cord in Liam.

 

“You mean _leaving_ , leaving? But what about the pack and-” Theo let out a loud growl, aggressively zipping up the bag and throwing it over his shoulder. He paused to level his glowing eyes on Liam, his upper lip curling into a snarl.

 

“I don’t have a pack. Remember?” Liam winced, and the smell of regret filled the air around the two. “You were more than happy to remind me of that earlier.”

 

“Theo what I said…” Theo shook his head, cutting him off.

 

“Save your breath _Littlewolf_.” The nickname usually made Liam want to roll his eyes good-naturedly, but it sounded sour coming from Theo now. The way the older boy spit it at him made something in Liam’s gut churn, and he looked away from where Theo’s eyes were burning into his. Liam dug his claws into his palms, suppressing the urge to force Theo to stay or to punch some sense into the older boy. It seemed that Theo could read his mind, or maybe just read the chemosignals around them, because his voice came out taunting and cold when he spoke again.

 

“Go ahead Liam, hit me. You can blame that on your IED too.” Liam narrowed his eyes at Theo, locking them with the chimera’s again.

 

“I didn’t mean what I said, you know that.” Theo scoffed at his words, shoving past Liam and heading for the stairs.

 

“You’re IED doesn’t _invent_ feelings Liam, it just makes them harder to control.” The beta let out a soft growl, rushing to stop Theo before he reached the front door.

 

“For fucks sake Theo, just _talk_ to me.” The chimera spun on his heel, slamming the door closed and advancing on Liam. They walked backwards until Liam hit a wall, and the chimera leaned closer to snarl in his face.

 

“You made how you feel very clear earlier. I don’t think further talking is necessary.” Liam forced down his pride, reaching out a tentative hand to latch around Theo’s wrist, leaving it hanging in the air when the older boy jerked away from the touch.

 

“T, _please_.” Liam’s soft voice cracked Theo’s mask just slightly. The beta caught a brief glimpse of hurt and anger as Theo slammed the side of his arm against the wall beside Liam’s head. The picture frames rattled, one of them falling from its spot and shattering on the floor. As the sound of shattering glass resounded around the room, Theo’s mask slipped back across his face.

 

“Don’t. Call. Me. That… and please _what_ Liam? I have nothing to give you.” Theo growled out, snarling in the beta’s face once more before backing away. He picked up his bag from the floor, turning towards the door once more. He only made it a few steps before Liam was grabbing his wrist again. Theo growled, his eyes glowing orange as he shoved Liam back against the wall with enough force to send another picture frame to the floor. Liam simply bowed his head in response to Theo’s furious growls. Theo snarled again, stepping back and taking a deep breath.

 

“Stop. Doing. That.” The chimera was almost fully shifted, his claws digging into his palms.

 

“Doing what T?” Theo had calmed down slightly, but the confusion in Liam’s voice mixed with the nickname raised another growl out of the chimera.

 

“Just fuck off and let me leave. It’s what you wanted isn’t it?” Liam shook his head vigorously, stepping forward and looking into Theo’s eyes.

 

“No T, that’s not what I… please don’t leave me Theo. I swear I don’t mean what I said earlier.” The chimera froze, his eyes frantically searched Liam’s pleading face as he scented the air. The older boy’s mask slipped at the frantic beating of Liam’s heart. The beta wasn’t lying.

 

“Then what _do_ you want? Because I can’t keep doing this Liam. You… you confuse me.” The beta looked at him with a look Theo couldn’t identify shining in his eyes, but the moment was broken when Scott’s ringtone erupted from Liam’s phone. Theo took another step back, shaking his head as the mask of indifference slipped back over his face. He nodded to the front pocket of Liam’s hoodie, his lip curling up into a sneer.

 

“Your _pack_ needs you. Goodbye, Littlewolf.” He was stopped again, Liam’s fingers curling around his wrist. Liam’s quiet voice echoed in the silent hallway, his words freezing Theo.

 

“T, _you’re_ pack. If they need me, then they need you.” Liam’s heart never skipped a beat, causing Theo to screw his eyes shut and spin on his heel to face the beta.

 

“Fuck you Liam. Why can’t you just let me leave? You just had to go and try to fix the broken mess of a chimera you were forced to save. Just. Let. Me. Leave!” Theo was yelling by the time he finished speaking, his mask once again leaving and the hurt and anger shining through.

 

“Because I…” Liam cut himself off, fixing his eyes on the floor to avoid Theo’s gaze. This only seemed to aggravate Theo further, his glowing eyes burning with anger.

 

“You _what_ Liam? Spit it out!” Liam fumbled for words for a minute, then rather than say anything, Liam closed the distance between them and planted his lips firmly on Theo’s. The chimera made a small noise of surprise and then pulled back quickly, slamming Liam into the wall hard enough to crack the drywall. He searched Liam’s face for a moment before pressing his lips to the beta’s once again. Liam pressed everything he could into the kiss, hoping Theo would feel all the emotions he couldn’t find words for. Kissing Theo wasn’t what Liam had expected, but it was amazing in its own way. The beta had assumed kissing Theo would be all rough, biting kisses and wandering hands, but the chimera moved his lips slowly against Liam’s, holding the beta as tightly as possible to him. The older boy held him like something fragile, like a leaf in a hurricane that could blow away at any second. Liam felt the hurt, anger, guilt, and fear Theo felt slam into him like a typhoon. But Liam also felt the longing and want the chimera felt. It was those emotions that sent heat coiling low in Liam’s gut, feeling like someone lit fireworks deep inside of him. Their lips moved at an unhurried pace, the two wolves tranquil for the moment. 

 

Theo was the first to move, and Liam let out a soft whimper when Theo moved one hand from the small of his back to tangle in the beta’s hair, using his grip to gently tilt Liam’s head and deepen the kiss. Theo nipped subtly at Liam’s bottom lip, causing the beta to let out a soft gasp into the older boy’s mouth. When Liam’s phone rung out once again, Theo released him and took a step backward. Liam reached out, grabbing the front of Theo’s shirt and tangling his fingers in the soft fabric. 

 

“I’m sorry. Please stay.” Theo simply nodded in response to Liam’s soft voice, prying Liam’s hands off his shirt and reaching down to grab the beta’s phone. He accepted Scott’s call, passing the phone to Liam and leaning down to press a kiss to the younger boy’s neck. Liam batted Theo away as Scott’s concerned voice filtered through the speakers. 

 

“Liam, are you alright? I called four times before you answered.” 

 

“Yeah sorry Scott, I was… busy” Liam heard a noise of acknowledgement from Scott, then the alpha was speaking again. 

 

“Is Theo with you?” Liam felt his face heat up as Theo grinned into his neck. 

 

“Yeah I’m here, what do you need Scott?” Theo’s slightly raspy voice sent shivers down Liam’s spine, and he stared unabashedly at the chimera. 

 

“Can you and Liam come down to the animal clinic? There’s someone here that you need to meet.” The serious tone of Scott’s voice caused Liam and Theo to shoot each other concerned looks. The older were-creature grabbed Liam’s hand, pulling him in the direction of the door. As they stepped over Theo’s bag, Liam glanced from the bag to where his hand was intertwined with Theo’s, a small smile gracing his lips. The two climbed into Theo’s truck, their hands locking together as soon as they were settled. The older boy drove one-handed, occasionally glancing away from the road to look over at Liam. Their wolves craved the proximity, both of them almost letting out small whines when they separated to go inside the clinic. 

 

Liam watched with curiosity as Theo’s mask slipped back on, only the emotion in his eyes showing through the facade. Theo took a deep breath, swinging open the door to the clinic and walking inside. He froze shortly after walking through the doorway, almost causing Liam to run into his back. The beta moved around Theo, only to stop beside him. The shock must have shown on their faces, but Theo recovered much quicker than Liam. He let out a low growl, his claws coming out with a soft _click_ as he stalked closer to the strange wolf sitting in the corner. Scott was between them in a second, his hands help up passively. 

 

“Easy Theo, her name is Diana. Monroe killed her pack and kidnapped her mate. She just wants help.” Theo relaxed slightly at Scott’s words, but still kept his guard up. Liam’s eyebrows furrowed at the True Alpha’s words however, and he voiced his confusion. 

 

“Mates?” Liam questioned, causing Theo to glance behind himself to where Liam was standing in the doorway, when he met the older boy’s eyes, there seemed to be something hidden deep within the hazel green depths. Liam maintained their eye contact, desperately attempting to decipher the look in Theo’s eyes. Before he could, the new person in the room stood up from her seat where she had been quietly watching the exchange, walking over to Liam. A low growl was heard from Theo, causing her to look over in curiosity. 

 

“Yes Beta, my mate was taken. When our pack was killed by hunters, we lived as omegas. We were always on the run from the hunters that had killed my pack, but it wasn’t until we stumbled upon a town just south of Beacon Hills that Monroe found us. When I heard there were two alphas in one town, I knew I needed to come here for help.” She had a strange accent, like a mixture of a Russian accent and a southern one. Theo looked confused and slightly angry, glancing across the room at Scott. 

 

“There’s another alpha in town? When did this happen?” Diana looked startled at Theo’s words, her gaze settling on Liam who happened to find a spot on his shoe very interesting. She spoke again, her gaze flickering from one person to the next. 

 

“I came not only for help, but also for a book. I believe it is called **Libro Mors Et Vita**.” Theo was glad the sharp intake of breath at her words was overlooked by the present were-creatures, Scott telling her they had never seen the book. Diana fixed Theo with a strange look, but turned to face Scott once again. 

 

“Well then do you know where Monroe is currently?” Her voice had a sharp edge to it, anger flooding her chemosignals briefly as Monroe’s name was mentioned before dying down to a simmering sadness. 

 

“Not at the moment, but there are rumors she’s been staying in a warehouse somewhere around town. But there’s hundreds of warehouses in Beacon Hills.” Scott spoke with an apologetic tone and Diana let out a sigh at his words. 

 

“I can start searching some of them tonight.” Her accent was made stronger by the conviction in her words, and she turned to head towards the door. Scott looked over at Liam and Theo, motioning towards the exit. 

 

“You two can go with her, I called the rest of the pack and they’ll be here as soon as they possibly can.” The two nodded at Scott’s words, heading outside after Diana. Theo and Liam found her leaning against the truck, and Theo shot Liam a frustrated look before unlocking the blue Toyota. Diana climbed into the backseat, choosing to sit directly behind Theo. The chimera tensed up, not liking his back or neck exposed to a stranger. He may have changed, but his survival instincts were still ingrained in his memory. She scooted over to sit in the middle of the backseat though, and Theo relaxed slightly before climbing into the driver’s seat. Liam shot him a confused look but tore his gaze away from the older boy and turned to the girl in the backseat. 

 

“So Diana, what are you? Werewolf, werecoyote, chimera…” Diana watched Liam carefully as he spoke, then shuffled around slightly in her seat before answering. 

 

“Werewolf.” Theo made a small humming noise at her answer, eyes glued to the road as he drove to one of the warehouses outside of town. Something about her made Theo uneasy, but he couldn’t identify what it was. He summed it up to just being his distrust of strangers, but kept his guard up nonetheless. 

 

The first warehouse they came across was utterly vacant, and seemed to have been that way for several years at the very least. The next five they searched yielded the same results, and they received a call from Scott shortly after leaving the 6th building, located on the pier. The alpha informed the trio that Sheriff Stilinski had just arrived, however Stiles and Derek were still with Argent and would take another hour to re-enter Beacon Hills. 

 

Theo stopped the truck outside yet another bland looking warehouse, but Liam made a quieting motion and pointed to the building. He shared a glance with Theo, and they tuned their enhanced hearing to the building. The sound of at least two heartbeats was audible from inside, and Diana released a low growl. The three were-creatures pilled out of the truck as quietly as possible, pausing outside of the entrance to gather themselves and make a plan. Liam had insisted on going first, but a low growl from Theo and a flash of orange eyes reluctantly changed his mind. Diana agreed to trail the group, resolved to rescue her mate while the two teenagers took down the hunters. 

 

Just before Theo wrenched open the door, Liam placed a hand on his arm. When Theo turned to face the beta with a questioning look, Liam spoke with a sombre tone. 

 

“Remember Theo, Scott said no killing.” Theo narrowed his eyes at the beta, offering a stiff nod.

 

“Glad to know you think so highly of me.” Liam’s blue eyes portrayed his hurt when he realized how Theo had interpreted his words, but before he could say anything the chimera was muttering out a, “Let’s go” and silently opening the door. 

 

The were-creatures had severely underestimated the amount of hunters in the building in their haste to move inside, and they found themselves faced with two guards near the door and five more speaking with Monroe at a table. The opening of the door triggered a silent alarm, and the three supernaturals noticed it at the same time the hunters did. Theo let out a string of profanities and quickly knocked out the guards at the door. As soon as they fell, the five remaining hunters opened fire on their small group. Theo sprang back to his spot in front of the other two werewolves and turned around to cover Liam’s body with his own, throwing both of them to the floor just behind a large box of ammo. Diana took refuge behind a shipping crate, the bullets hitting the metal siding causing a horrible noise to assault the enhanced hearing of the wolves and the chimera. When their fire stopped briefly in order for them to reload, Theo nodded to Liam and took off, taking down a hunter before they even registered he had moved. Liam followed swiftly after, successfully taking down the two hunters on the left of Monroe. When the beta stopped fighting, he looked over to see Theo struggling to take one of the guns from the fourth hunter.  

 

Liam could not track their movements, even with his enhanced abilities. Monroe was nowhere in sight, and Liam didn’t attempt to listen for her heartbeat. He briefly wondered where Diana had gone, but the sound of a gun firing jolted him back to the present situation. Theo let out a grunt of pain before the gun was flying a few feet away. The hunter pulled a knife from the back waistband of his jeans, unbeknownst to Theo. Liam contemplated letting out a cry of warning, but the hunter was already in movement. Theo avoided the first two jabs of the knife, but something seemed to be wrong with the chimera’s left ankle. Liam rushed forward, not sparing time to calculate his next move. The beta grabbed the hunter from behind, pinning the man’s arms to his body. Liam registered a sharp pain in his thigh before the hunter went limp, Theo standing in front of the man with blood on his fist. 

 

The chimera nodded his thanks, turning away to scan the area. He started to take a step forward, gritting his teeth at the pain in his ankle when a sharp, cynical laugh was heard from behind the two were-creatures. Theo and Liam spun around, both growling at the sight of Monroe. She opened her mouth to speak, but her words turned to a dark grin. Diana stepped in-between Theo and Liam, nodding briefly at Monroe. 

 

“Well, how nice of you to finally bring me something worthwhile. I was beginning to think our deal was for nothing White Paw.” Monroe’s words caused both Theo and Liam’s chemosignals to shift from hatred to confusion in seconds. Their eyes both found Diana at the same time, and said werewolf grabbed the knife Liam had momentarily forgot about, yanking it out of the beta’s thigh. Liam’s cry of pain was drowned out by Diana’s voice and Theo’s angry growl.

 

“It’s Belaya Lapa you fool. And I told you that I would deliver the beta and alpha chimera, you should not have doubted me.” Monroe narrowed her eyes, her voice once again cold. 

 

“I have no interest in speaking in Russian for your convenience. Now kill those two and have your immunity from our hunt.” Liam’s eyes widened at her words, and he looked over at Theo. The chimera met his eyes, stepping closer to the beta and placing a hand on his wrist. Theo could see the effects of the wolfsbane beginning to set in, and he attempted to take some of Liam’s pain, hoping it would help jumpstart the healing process. It proved to be wishful thinking, since the wolfsbane prevented his healing even with less pain. Liam watched as the other werewolf shifted, and inhaled sharply in surprise. He turned to Theo, his voice shaking slightly in anger. 

 

“Diana is the wolf that attacked us in the woods.” Theo’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and he looked at the wolf more closely. The physical traits were identical, the same cold blue eyes and white paw. 

 

“But wasn’t that wolf male?” Liam shrugged, muttering about how they must have been too distracted not dying to notice the gender. A loud growl had Theo standing at attention, his posture tense and defensive. 

 

The wolf took two steps forward before spinning around quickly and snarling at Monroe. Diana leaped at the unsuspecting hunter, the two of them going to the ground. The next few seconds consisted of Theo grabbing Liam and turning the beta towards the door, shoving the werewolf in front of himself. Monroe’s screams finally ceased as the two teens made it halfway to the exit. The sound of bones changing and cracking signified Diana shifting back, and within seconds she was in front of Theo and Liam. Liam reeked of anger and he took another menacing step forward, a growl resounding from his throat. 

 

“You betrayed our kind, you almost killed Theo! Get out of our way before I rip your throat out.” A laugh was the only response he received before Diana was speaking, her voice cold and calculating. 

 

“In case you have forgotten, Raeken has done both of those things as well. As for Monroe, I was only working with her to save my own skin. It was a ruse” Theo heard the skip in her heartbeat at the last sentence, and he winced at the anger and confusion from Liam. 

 

“What do you mean Theo’s done both of those things?” Diana didn’t have time to respond before Theo was taking a step forward, still several steps behind Liam. 

 

“Her heartbeat skipped when she said working with Monroe to save her own skin was a ruse. So what aren’t you telling us Diana?” Liam turned to give him a confused look, still hung up on the first part of Diana’s speech. Diana never replied to Theo, instead using Liam’s distracted state to her advantage. As soon as the beta let his guard down, Diana was moving. She slammed an elbow into Liam’s ribs, hooking her foot around the back of his knees and pulling him down. His kneecaps let out a crack as they hit the cement floor of the warehouse, her claws digging into the soft flesh of his neck as Diana stood behind him. Her small body was shielded by his, preventing Theo from finding a weak spot. 

 

“One wrong move and your precious beta gets relived of his windpipes.” There was a wicked smirk on her face, and Theo was reminded frighteningly of himself while he was under the control of the Dread Doctors. 

 

“Diana you don’t have to do this. We’ll find your mate, just don’t hurt him.” There was a wild look in her eyes, and her claws dug harder into Liam’s throat at the other chimera’s words. A startlingly creepy laugh rose from her throat. 

 

“Theo, don’t be stupid. There is no mate. She died in a fire 3 years ago.” Diana’s words sent a chill down Theo’s spine. Paired with the almost gleeful look in her eyes, the older boy knew better than to question it. 

 

“Just hand over Liam, I’ll give you what you want.” Theo’s words caused Liam’s scent to change from fear to confusion. The beta took the risk of speaking, wincing when the claws dug further into his neck with the movement. 

 

“What are you talking about Theo? We don’t have anything she wants.” Theo’s eyes met his briefly and then flickered back up to Diana. Liam could see every wheel in his overactive brain working quickly, looking for any escape from their current situation. 

 

“Oh my. Theo, did you not tell your precious little beta your deep, dark secret?” Diana’s words were sickly sweet, paired with a grin in Theo’s direction. 

 

“Tell me what?” Theo kept his eyes trained on Diana, fury and concern rolling off of him in waves. “Theo what is she talking about?” Theo felt the urge to screw his eyes shut at the pained tone in Liam’s voice. The knowledge that Liam wasn’t in pain because of his situation, but rather the fact that Theo hid something from him, made something twist inside of him. Theo’s nerve endings were shot. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him to run, to take one of the three accessible escapes nearby and leave Liam. Theo minutely shook his head to clear these thoughts, fixing a stone cold glare on Diana. 

 

“Shame you won’t talk, it could have saved your boy.” Her claws dug deeper into Liam’s neck, eliciting a cry of pain from the younger boy. Theo’s gut twisted uncomfortably and he stepped forward, his hands help up passively. 

 

“Take it. Just leave Liam out of this.” Theo pleaded with both his eyes and his words, taking another step closer. He received only a dark laugh in response, more blood flowing from the claw marks in Liam’s neck. 

 

“Take one more step and I’ll rip out his throat.” Diana’s words came out muffled behind her fangs, yet it halted Theo in his tracks. The Icy concern in the older boy’s veins turned into a raging fire of rage at the werewolf’s words. 

 

“Hurt him and when I’m done with you, there won’t even be enough fucking _bone marrow_ to identify you by.” Theo’s eyes burned orange with fury, his words coming out in a dark hiss. The flames of his irises burned brighter when Diana let out another dark laugh. Liam’s eyes snapped open and he locked them on Theo. The startling blue of the beta’s eyes drew Theo in, and he found himself unable to resist locking eyes with Liam. 

 

“Theo don’t lose control. You’ve come so far, you can’t give it all up now.” Theo looked pained, a small whine bubbling up in his throat at Liam’s words. He would sooner die then let the sound release, but he shook his head at Liam. Diana dug her claws in further, gaining another cry of pain from Liam. 

 

“Show him Theo. Show him your secret.” Theo felt conflicted at her words. He knew it would save Liam, but he could also lose him over it. 

 

“Theo. Promise me you won’t lose control.” Theo’s eyes flickered to Liam’s face. The beta never asked Theo to promise anything, he knew the power promises held for the older boy. Theo had never promised anything to someone before. 

 

“That won’t be necessary Mr. Dunbar.” Theo whipped around at the new voice that floated from behind him. A petite woman in tall heels walked over to stand beside Diana, who turned to smile slightly at her. Diana withdrew her claws from Liam and Theo was at his side in a second, dragging the beta across the floor and placing himself between the three. 

 

“Monroe is dead, but we still want the book Theo. We want the book and the power you hold.” Theo shook his head slightly at the new person’s words, refusing to move from his defensive position in front of Liam. The beta was too weak to fight his way out, so Theo mentally searched the warehouse for any way he could get Liam out safely. When his mind came up blank, he began attempting to formulate a plan to fight their way out. 

 

“It’s no use chimera. We will kill the both of you before either of you make it to the exit you choose.” Theo let out a low growl at Diana’s words, his eyes flickering from the werewolf to the other person. The scent from the newest arrival told Theo that she was a werecoyote. 

 

“Now tell me chimera, where is the book?” Theo locked his eyes on the werecoyote, his words coming out in a growl. 

 

“I don’t have it, but I can give it to you as soon as Liam is safe with Scott.” Diana let out a bitter laugh, rolling her eyes at Theo’s bargain. She started to refuse when the other were-creature at her side held up a manicured hand. 

 

“He wasn’t lying Di. Fine abomination, you can have your deal. The book and yourself for the beta’s safety.” Liam opened his mouth to protest but Diana spoke up first. 

 

“Natalie, why don’t we just kill the beta and take the abomination with us. That way we get rid of the witness and still get what we came for.” The werecoyote, Natalie, shot an icy glare at the werewolf, shaking her head. 

 

“To much effort Diana dear. Besides, the beta will be no problem to take care of in the future if we run into any issues.” Her words seemed to settle Diana, who walked over to the two teens on the floor. Theo and Liam both let out menacing growls, the werewolf’s coming out much weaker due to the poison flowing through his system. The she-wolf grabbed the gun Theo threw away from the hunter, making sure it was loaded before using it to gesture as she spoke. 

 

“Both of you get up. And don’t think about trying anything Raeken, or Liam gets a hole in his pretty little head.” Theo let out another growl, but helped Liam to stand. He put Liam’s arm over his shoulders, wrapping his own arm around Liam’s waist to help the weakened beta walk. When they finally made it out to Theo’s truck, blood was sluggishly leaking from the wound in Liam’s thigh and the claw marks in his neck. The younger boy would usually put up a fight about being lifted into the truck, but he was barely clinging to consciousness. Liam had healed from much worse, but the wolfsbane being in his system for so long worried Theo. Diana sat directly behind Theo, gun pressed to his temple as the chimera drove. The older boy called ahead to alert Scott that Liam was injured, and they needed to meet up at the animal clinic.

 

The drive was significantly shorter than usual, with Theo driving well over the speed limit. As the chimera pulled into the parking lot of the animal clinic, he turned to glare at Natalie and Diana. 

 

“Stay out of sight. As soon as Liam is safe I’ll grab the book and come back outside.” The two in the backseat agreed, and Theo jumped out of the car and rounded the front to access the passenger side. Theo carefully opened the door and lifted Liam from the seat, placing a steadying hand under his back and one under the beta’s knees. Theo schooled his face into an impassive mask, but Liam raised a shaky hand to Theo’s cheek as they reached the door, and the chimera’s mask fell. 

 

“You’re going to be ok Liam, Scott is almost here and he will make sure you start healing.” Theo spoke more to console himself than Liam, and the beta’s hand resting on his cheek began tracing the chimera’s jaw as he walked though the back doors of the animal clinic. As Theo laid Liam down gently on the table, the werewolf wrapped his fingers in the shorter hairs at the back of Theo’s head, one hand still tracing the older boy’s jaw. Liam pulled Theo slowly closer, pausing to whisper against the chimera’s lips. 

  

“Don’t go Theo. Scott can handle the two of them when he gets here. Please don’t leave.” Theo screwed his eyes shut and closed the distance between their lips, kissing Liam slowly. The older boy clung to Liam as gently as possible, refusing to break contact even after they leaned apart for air. Theo took the hand slowly tracing his jaw, tangling their fingers together and cradling Liam’s head with his free hand. Liam let out a small gasp when Theo began taking his pain, only letting go when the sound of Scott’s car could be heard pulling into the parking lot. The chimera let go of Liam after pressing one last kiss to the beta’s lips, pressing his forehead to Liam’s in order to quietly whisper to the beta. 

 

“Goodbye, Littlewolf.” Theo blocked out the broken plea of his name from Liam, turning away to replace his mask. When Scott burst into the clinic, Theo offered nothing but a cold nod in the direction of the room he placed Liam in. When asked what happened, Theo’s face remained emotionless. 

 

“Monroe took down Diana, and then Liam got too close. She already got to him but I managed to use the distraction to kill her. Liam’s hurt pretty bad.” Scott looked furious, his voice coming out controlled and growled. 

 

“You told us you wouldn’t kill again. We made it very clear what would happen. And how could you use Liam for your own cover?” Scott was yelling by the time he finished speaking, his eyes flashing red. Theo simply looked unimpressed, offering up a shrug in response. 

 

“No need to kill me again. I’m leaving Beacon Hills, for good this time.” Scott looked shocked, turning to look at the room Theo emerged from and then glaring at the chimera. 

 

“You never really changed did you?” Theo controlled his heartbeat, careful not to show how deeply Scott’s words cut him. Theo offered up an emotionless laugh, turning on his heel to walk out of the clinic. 

 

“I’m surprised Liam bought the act for so long. But there’s really no need to pretend now that the biggest threat to me is gone.” Scott let out a growl, but Theo was already gone through the doors of the animal clinic. He paused at he tailgate of his truck to compose himself, furiously wiping the stray tear that made its way down his cheek. 

 

He ripped open the tailgate, pulling the dreaded book from its resting place, walking to the driver’s seat of the truck. As soon as he was seated, Natalie snatched the book from his grip. Then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh ok so that just happened. Im soooooo sorry this took so long to update, I was computer less for almost all summer, and we had a crazy schedule on top of that. Updates should hopefully come more regularly now that we are nearing the end of the story. *sad crying* 
> 
> I wonder what will happen to Theo, and what will happen when Liam finds out what he told Scott O_O
> 
> Please leave a comment to let me know what you think, as well as any errors or plot holes you find!
> 
> Until next time, thank you to those who have stuck with the story through all the angst and irregular updates, and I hope the final two chapters after this one will be less angsty and horribly written lol.


End file.
